


Three Feet of Bar

by kissmelikeapirate



Category: New Girl
Genre: Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-12
Updated: 2014-01-12
Packaged: 2018-01-08 12:51:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 33,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1132864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissmelikeapirate/pseuds/kissmelikeapirate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU story. <br/>Jess never moved in with Nick, Schmidt and Winston. But you can't fight fate. <br/>Chronicling the interactions of Jess and Nick across three feet of bar and maybe closer... Spoilers for Season 1 and 2. Rated T except for the chapter - The Green Fairy part 2. If M isn't your thing, please just skip this chapter - it won't affect the overall story!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Feet of Bar

 

* * *

**Chapter 1: Vodka soda please**

 

After walking aimlessly for over an hour, Jessica Day realized she was hopelessly lost. All around her were unfamiliar buildings and street names she did not recognize. Walking over to the curb by the side of the road, she paused and sank down to sit: today had been one of the worst days of her life.

She adjusted the short, beige trench coat she was wearing to cover her legs and considered the events that had led to her walking the streets of suburban Los Angeles, alone at 8pm, on a warm summer's evening. The day had started so well, she had spent the weekend away on a teaching retreat and was returning home. She had decided to surprise her boyfriend, Spencer, and get home a little early. Things between them had been a little, well, dry recently. After six years she realised they weren't going to be hot and heavy forever but it didn't feel right, so she resolved to do something about it.

Amy, a fellow teacher friend, had told her about the time she'd been having relationship problems; they'd spiced things up by pretending to be strangers – she was the prostitute and her boyfriend was the cop sent to arrest her and she'd paid him off with some 'services'. Since Jess didn't like the idea of pretending to be a prostitute, she decided to be a stripper. The plan was to leave the retreat early, take a cab home and surprise him wearing her little trench coat and nothing much else.

During the drive home, she was nervous. She'd never initiated anything like that – to be honest she wasn't overly confident sexually. If she admitted it, she was kind of a dork. Not that she'd ever wanted, or tried to be cool. She definitely marched to the sound of her own drummer. That said, she was still a woman and she wanted to be that confident, sexy girl who made guys go crazy.

When she arrived, she'd found Spencer in the living room and immediately began her pre-prepared sexy routine which involved a deep voice and some questionably sexy dance moves (Jess had never actually seen a stripper, but she figured there was a lot of thrusting involved). She was deep into her act when _she_  appeared. A girl. In her house. In her bedroom. Wearing hardly anything.

It didn't take a genius to work out what was going on. Jess felt the colour drain from her face; the bile rise in her stomach. Her mind began to spin and she couldn't focus. Spencer was cheating on her. Spencer, the guy who she had pinned so many hopes on and loved for six years was sleeping with another woman. She had to escape the house. She couldn't get more clothes from her room so she grabbed the coat and, quickly re-fastening, she ran out of the house; running blindly away from that awful sight.

And this was how she found herself, an hour later, lost, no phone battery and exhausted. Standing back up, her eyes searched the area around her. She was reaching the end of a residential area and could see other buildings in the distance. Was that a bar? She saw a long, flat building with a small, flashing neon sign. She began walking to it until the sign outside became visible, Clyde's Bar. Great, she thought, they'll have a payphone and she could then call her best friend, Cece, to come get her.

Stepping into the darkened bar, she felt the cool chill of air conditioning and the smell of polished wood. The place was quiet. Unsurprisingly as it was a Monday evening, not the hottest night for partying. What looked like a few regulars were propping up the bar, whilst in the booths around the room there were a smattering of couples, huddled close together.

As she walked to the service area, the bartender came into view, wiping down the bar with a cloth. He engaged her in a smile, his stubble covered face just the right side of untidy. His hair was wavy and ruffled and he had kind dark eyes. "What can I get you?" he asked, placing a napkin in front of her.

"Actually, do you have a payphone?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied, pointing to the opposite side of the bar. Jess found the phone and rang Cece: It went straight to voicemail. She was probably working. Cece was a model and worked very strange hours. Jessica, as a teacher, valued the structure of school and she often wondered how Cece could stand her unpredictable schedule. She left her a message with the pay phone number and headed back to the bar.

"Can I get a vodka soda?" she asked. Normally she was a wine girl, but a day like this required something with a lot more kick. She watched as the bartender's s experienced hands made light work of the drink, garnishing it with a peel of lime and a little pink cocktail umbrella. "Thank you," she said.

* * *

Nick had been watching the girl at the bar for over two hours now. She had arrived, red eyed, dishevelled and wearing a minimal trench coat, underneath of which he was sure there was little or nothing. She had steadily worked her way through four vodka sodas now and was beginning to look a little tipsy. With her pale skin and wild hair, she looked like a doll. He'd noticed her large blue eyes that dominated her face, they were almost hypnotic. But they looked so sad.

"Barkeep, another round please," she asked. He grabbed the bottle of Stoli and poured another round, putting in that a little bit less alcohol. He didn't want her to get too drunk. She was alone; vulnerable. He felt somewhat responsible for her.

As he placed the tumbler on the counter before her, he watched her hands play with the little pink cocktail umbrella. Twisting it, opening and closing it in a preoccupied way. "Excuse me, I hope you don't mind me saying, you don't look like the kind of girl who usually hangs around a bar alone," she looked up at him with her big blue eyes and cocked her head to the side. She let out a sigh.

"Er, yeah, this is not normal behavior for me. I've not had the best day."

Nick could feel that this girl needed to talk and the bar was quiet. He leant over and rested his crossed arms on the wooden surface. "Want to talk? They say bartenders make the best therapists." This made a small smile dance upon her lips and she looked up at him through her heavy, dark bangs. He noticed for the first time how full and red her lips were.

"Urgh, I found out today my boyfriend is cheating on me. Six years. Six years and I find him having sex with some, some floozy," a frown covered her face as she took a large gulp of her drink. "I went home to surprise him, trying to be spontaneous, and there he was with her… So I ran away and ended up lost, without a phone and half naked, in a strange part of town," self-consciously she pulled the collar of her coat closer to her throat. He swallowed; he was right about the coat. His mind wandered slightly as to what was underneath.

"Uh, that's terrible. He doesn't deserve you," he figured that was the kind of thing a barman should say in this situation. To be honest, he didn't often talk to the customers and when he did they were usually middle aged drunks. Attractive, young women at the bar were only interested in flirting with him when it got close to midnight and their other options were slim.

"No offense, bar guy, but how would you know? You don't know me," she asked, with a little bit of sass.

"That's true, trench coat girl, but I do meet a lot of people in this job and you seem like a nice person. And nice girls should be treated well," he locked her in a gaze and smiled until she broke her frown and reciprocated.

Reaching he hand toward him she said, "Jess, Jessica Day."

He took her hand and shook it, "Miller, Nick Miller, nice to meet you Jessica Day."

"Urgh, I feel like such an idiot Miller, Nick Miller. All I wanna do is go home and watch Dirty Dancing and cry but I can't as I live with that asshole," she downed the rest of her drink and tapped the glass on the bar before pushing it to him to request another.

"You got a place to go?" he asked as he made her another, even weaker, cocktail.

"Yeah, my friend Cece has a place I can crash. But she's working, that's who I called earlier, just waiting for her to call back. I don't even have my car here. So for now, I'll drink!" She said raising her fresh glass of vodka and soda.

"Hey is there a Jess here?" came a cry from over the bar.

"Me, I'm here! That must be Cece," she exclaimed as she ran over to the payphone.

Nick watched her go as he mopped up the spilled soda on the bar. He was intrigued by this wide eyed girl, who used old fashioned words and was wandering around LA half naked. She seemed so different from the people he normally met. Very different from Caroline.

Caroline and Nick had broken up 3 months earlier. They had been dating for five years. Five torturous years of being told he didn't have a good enough job, was too messy, was childish, wasn't what she wanted… But he had still thrown his heart and soul into that relationship until one day, just like that she had ended it. It wasn't as dramatic as the story this girl, Jess, had told him but it had crushed him like a rock. So he knew what betrayal felt like and he felt an affinity with Jessica Day and a curiosity to know her better.

* * *

"Okay, okay Cece, thanks," Jess replaced the receiver and returned to the bar. Cece was going to be shooting all night, she was in a video for Little Wayne and was hoping it may be her 'big break' so she couldn't leave in case she lost her place. But she had told Jess her roommates were home so if she caught a cab over to Cece's place they would let her in.

Sitting back on her bar stool she began to sip again at her icy cool cocktail. She watched the

Bartender ( _Nick was his name?)_ as he served a small group of college girls. As he poured their wine and vodkas, she watched them flirt with him and his self-conscious smiles in response. He was wearing a grey button down shirt with dark jeans that clung to him in all the right places. The alcohol was beginning to seep into her veins now, numbing the pain of Spencer's betrayal and she began to daydream about this stranger, this bartender. It felt like a safe daydream – it wasn't like she would see him again. She imagined his strong arms grabbing her, taking hold of his butt with her hands, him kissing her and the feel of his stubble against her soft skin…She felt a hot flush ride through her body. Maybe she had had too much to drink.

Nick sidled back over when he had finished with the girls, "So did you get in touch with your friend?" he asked. Jess explained the conversation and asked for a cab number.

"You could try but they rarely turn up, usually get flagged down before they make it here," he told her.

Jess sighed. "Damn, what am I going to do? I can't stay here all night?" Nick felt a wave of sympathy go through him.

"Look, I never do this, but I finish in an hour. If you can wait til then, I can give you a ride," he really never did this. Actually, it was rare his car worked but he thanked God it worked tonight. He wanted this meeting to last as long as possible.

"Really? I mean, are you sure you are not like a serial killer or something? My mom told me never take a ride from a stranger," she replied in a silly, sing-songy voice.

"I assure you I am not. Actually I hate blood, I once fainted when I had a nosebleed. I'm also scared of dead people. My cousin Bobby locked me in a funeral home with my nana's body when I was eight. Never got over it." Jess laughed, she appreciated this strangers attempt to make her laugh.

"Okay, why not? At this point I have nothing to lose. Thanks." She gave him a smile as she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

* * *

Leaving Clyde's and stepping into the balmy air, Jess felt a little self-conscious. She still couldn't believe she had accepted a ride from a complete stranger. Cece would kill her. But she had a good feeling about this guy. He had this sad, resigned feeling about him, tinged with a dose of humor and ,just under the surface, she saw potential. They reached Nick's beaten up car and he opened the door for her, letting her slide inside before rounding the car and getting into the driver's seat. He started it up and the gentle purr of the engine filled the silence. "Sorry, CD player is broken," he apologized with a lopsided smile.

"That's okay. I like silence," she replied.

He pulled out of the parking lot and for the first few minutes they travelled in silence. Nick kept glancing at her. Her face was shrouded in darkness, but he could make out the street lights shining on her dark curls and ivory skin. The trench coat had slipped a little lower and he could see the slight curve of her breasts and more than a little of her slim legs. He swallowed. Not going to happen, he thought. Regardless of the fact she just found out her guy was cheating on her , why would she be interested in you?  _You're a loser bartender Miller. Give it up_.

* * *

Jess could feel Nick's eyes glancing at her as they drove along the highway. She felt that she should be a bit indignant at least but she found it… exciting. Arousing even. After the spectacular rejection she had faced today the attentions of another man were a balm to her fresh wounds.  _Well at least someone still finds me attractive_ , she thought, twisting in her seat, until just a little more leg was on show. She pursed her lips, feeling a little naughty.

The journey continued with bouts of silence punctuated by short questions back and forth. Where do you work? Where did you go to college? Do you know such-and-such? They discovered a couple of mutual friends and a few bars they both frequented.  _Funny we haven't met before_ , she thought.

As they finally pulled up outside Cece's apartment block, Jess felt a little reckless. The half dozen vodkas she had consumed had flooded her body by now and she felt warm and fuzzy. She turned to face Nick as she undid her seatbelt. "Hey, thanks, thanks for the ride. You've really helped me out."

"No problem," he said. She observed him, his face half in shadow. He looked rugged, messy, the opposite of sappy Spencer. Feeling bold, she lunged across the seat and grabbing his face in both hands she pressed her lips against his before easing her tongue into his mouth. His arms quickly slipped around her and he pulled her into a tight embrace, passionately kissing until they were both breathless. Finally, they broke apart. They stared at each other, wordlessly for a few seconds, before Jess pulled at the door handle beside her to make an escape, but she couldn't get it open.

"Um," she began. But then, Nick leaned across her, and flicked the door handle effortlessly. He was so close. She could feel his body heat radiating from him and smell his scent, a mixture of stale beer and Old Spice, she felt a warm wave flood through her. "Thanks," she said swallowing and quickly exiting the car. She ran towards the building and buzzed Cece's apartment. Her racing heart began to slow and she smiled thinking about her crazy behaviour. _At least I'll never see him again_ , she thought.

* * *

As Nick pulled away, still a little dazed, he ran his fingers across his lips. He could still taste her, the berry lip balm and hint of vodka soda. That had been unexpected, his mind spun at the memory, the feel of her body in his arms, the fire behind her kisses.  _What a night,_  he thought. Wondering if he would ever see Jessica Day again.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Sweet white wine**

* * *

**)**

After a turbulent few months, the life of Jessica Day was beginning to show some semblance of 'normal'. The transition from girlfriend to single girl had not been smooth. She'd spent most of her summer vacation living on Cece's couch, watching endless reruns of Dirty Dancing while consuming vast amounts of breakfast cereal. Finally, Cece had convinced her she needed to find a new place to live. Trawling Craigslist, she had had some interesting experiences with potential roommates. First, was the share with three women who were strippers and had a pole in their living room to practice. This seemed okay until she worked out that at least one of their boyfriends was a drug dealer ("You don't know any cops, do you?" he'd asked). Then there was the old lady with seven cats who was letting her attic room; Jess loved cats, but this lady didn't believe in restraining the animals with things like litter trays - oh, the smell! One guy she had met seemed normal, had a good job, the apartment was clean and close to work – but then he'd suggested they could negotiate the rent if she was willing to talk about 'extras', yeah she got out of there fast.

Finally, she had met Melissa. Melissa was the perfect roommate. She worked as a flight attendant (so was rarely home), was super clean, friendly and had the same taste as Jess. Moving in was a cathartic moment for her. Collecting the last of her belongings from Spencer – Cece came for back up – decorating her new place; it felt like starting again for real.

On top of all this, Jess had started dating Paul. Wonderful, sweet Paul. He was a teacher at her school and they had gotten together at Thanksgiving when they had found out neither had plans. A dinner date and two bottles of wine later and they were officially an item. He was so different from Spencer – he wrote plays and played the violin, he was so responsible and caring. He was exactly the kind of guy she should be dating.

Christmas was almost upon them (along with a visit to her parents in Portland) and school was finally finished for the holidays. Jess was keen for Paul to meet Melissa properly, so they had arranged to go for a drink at a bar near her new apartment. Melissa was on a layover in Atlanta, so Jess had told her to pick a place and she would meet here there.

Climbing into her car after her last day of work, she punched the address into her phone and set off her maps program. She started on her way, singing along to the radio as she went and thinking about how excited she was to see Paul. It was their two month anniversary tomorrow. She was anxious that Melissa liked him. Cece was not overly enthusiastic about him when they met. She'd said, 'he's okay'. He was not okay, he was great. Fantastic. Just what she needed. She hoped Melissa agreed.

Pulling onto the road that held the bar, Jess began to feel like she had been here before. The houses, the road looked familiar… Then she saw it, the long low building in the distance. Clyde's Bar. It was the bar she had went to the day she had broken up with Spencer. Her mouth went dry. It was where the bartender she had practically molested worked. Nick.

_Crap_ , she thought. This was not good; she had planned on never seeing him again. She hoped and prayed he was not working tonight, really, what were the chances? Pulling into the parking lot, she checked her makeup in the rear view mirror and then grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

* * *

Gingerly stepping inside, she scanned the interior. It was only 7pm so the bar was not busy, but it was a Friday night so she knew it would start to fill up soon. The familiar smell of oiled wood and astringent detergent filled her nose, as she adjusted to the darkened atmosphere. Her eyes darted around, checking for signs of Nick,  _phew_. She didn't see him. Maybe she would get lucky. She'd make a quick run for a drink and then go hide in a booth until the others met her.

Arriving at the dark, wooden bar she placed her purse on it's polished surface and tried to catch the attention of the pretty, female bartender, when a random thought popped into her head,  _I bet she and that Nick guy are doing it_. What was that? Why on Earth was she thinking about that guy? She swallowed and lifted up her hand, waving it to get her attention.

"Can I help you there?" the voice was deep and accented and came from behind her. She whipped around and there she saw him. Nick. That guy. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the flicker of recognition cross his face and his mouth form a large 'O'. The both paused and stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Jess wished the ground could open up and swallow her as she felt a rush of warm blood flood to her cheeks, reddening them. Then, he seemed to compose himself, shaking his head as he raised the bar hatch and rounded back to face her, standing across the bar. "Hey, er, Jess right?"

"Er, yeah, ummm?"

"Nick," he answered. Why was she pretending she didn't know his name? Nick. Nick was his name. The name she has fantasized about during her lowest moments, the name of the man whose scorching car kiss had made her feel so Goddamn hot that it still gave her shivers thinking about it.

"Yeah… Nick. Great to see you again." She plastered a huge grin on her face, hoping it would hide how nervous she was.

"Soo," he began, "How are you? Can I get you something?" He placed a black paper napkin on the mahogany surface in front of her.

"I'm great, great, meeting my boyfriend here soon, he's great, fantastic. You should meet him, I think you'd like him. So I'm waiting for my boyfriend and he should be getting here soon and…" she trailed off, losing her train of thought amidst her ramble.

"You'd like?" he offered.

"Oh, yeah, I'd love a white wine. Sweet. Like my boyfriend." Oh dear lord she was rambling on and on.  _Someone please stop me_ , she thought. Nick was silent as he removed a bottle from the cooler beneath the bar and poured her a generous measure of straw coloured liquid into a sparkling wine glass.

"There you go," he said placing it before her, "So, you got back with-"

"Spencer? No, no way. Na-ha. Nope." She paused and slurped a mouthful of wine, "I'm dating Paul now. He's a teacher. I work with him. He's great."  _Stop you idiot, stop_. To calm herself she took another large sip and sat rolling the glass between her hands, feeling the cool wet condensation dampen the palms of her hands and calm her slightly.

"Great," he replied as he took a sip of his own glass of Coke. Sounds like you're happy, then."

"I am, I really am. Actually, I should go find a booth…" With that she tipped her glass to Nick and slipped away from the bar as quickly as her little feet could carry her.

* * *

Sinking into the soft leather seat of the circular booth, she felt a wave of shame flood her body.  _Way to play it cool, Day_. She was sure that Nick Miller now thought she was a psychopath. She had appeared at his bar dressed only in a trench coat, practically molested him when her drove her home, and now she reappeared at his bar only to ramble on as if she were high on pain meds.  _Damn_. The thought he thought she was crazy really irked her. _Why do you care so much_? she asked herself. She didn't know the answer. But she knew that the opinion of this practical stranger mattered to her for some reason. She solaced herself by starting to work on her large glass of cool, syrupy wine.

* * *

Catching his breath, Nick watched the enigma that was Jessica Day stumble away from the bar towards a booth far in the corner of the room. He sighed deeply. Seeing her big blue eyes had brought back vivid memories of her lips; the feel of her body in his hands, pressed against his. He shook his head. This girl had occupied his thoughts for weeks after they first met. He dreamt of her and what he would like to do to her… He held his breath whenever a dark haired girl entered the bar. He even tried searching Facebook for her. But to no avail. He had resigned himself to a sweet memory until here she was back at his place of work. When she saw him, she had appeared flustered, surprised. He wondered if she remembered their kiss.  _How could she forget?_  It was without a doubt one of the hottest kisses he had ever experienced. Shaking his head, he turned to serve a couple of guys who had just arrived at the bar, whilst his mind was filled with thoughts of her.

* * *

7:45 pm. Her glass of wine now only held a single drop. Melissa was late, maybe her flight was delayed. Paul had called; he was stuck at school taking down scenery from the Christmas production, he promised to get there as soon as he could. Jess felt self-conscious sitting alone as the tables around her began to fill with the weekend crowd. Hipsters, college kids, couples and corporate types still in suits. She just wanted to go home now. She couldn't face him again. Even the thought of seeing Nick made her body start to feel warm and her heart beat a little faster.  _Jessica Day_ , she told herself,  _you are dating Paul, stop behaving like a school girl with a crush_. But even as she thought this, her mind returned to the feel of his stubble on her skin, his hands pressed against her body.  _Phew_ , she needed to calm down.

Just then, a body slid into the booth next to her and a glass of appeared on the table. She looked up. It was him. "I hope you don't mind, I finished my shift and I'm waiting for my roommates," Nick said. Momentarily she couldn't speak.

"Um, sure, I'm still waiting for my friends too. They're running late," she said, composing herself. They sat within touching distance of each other. He was dressed similarly to last time, but his shirt this time was plaid, shades of green and blue. It brought out the olive tone in his skin and made his eyes and hair look darker. She watched him as he nursed what looked like a Jack and coke .Oh, the drink…"

"My treat, for the company," he interrupted. He glanced sideways and watched her as she took small sips with her pretty, rose red mouth. Her hair was curly as the last time they had met, but it was tidier, more polished. She was wearing a royal blue satin dress with a scooped neckline which brought out the color of her eyes and the creamy whiteness of her skin. Her perfume filled the gap between them and he began to regret his decision.  _What are you playing at Miller? You could have sat at the bar or in the office and waited_. She has someone.  _Why are you torturing yourself?_  But for some reason, he felt drawn to her, like a magnet. She was so different to the women he usually met. She had this glow about her and he wanted to know more. "So, since we're waiting together, why don't you tell me a bit more about yourself? All I know about you is that you like to run around LA barely dressed, have a thing for vodka sodas and need to be watched when parked in cars with strangers." He was feeling bold and smiled at her.

Covering her face with her hand she groaned, "Oh my God I'm so sorry. I'm so embarrassed. I was drunk and feeling crappy…" she lowered her hand and locked eyes with him.

"Hey, it's fine, I'm just teasing. I wasn't complaining was I?" A silence filled the space between them as they both locked eyes and look a sip of their respective drinks. Jessica felt a crackle of attraction pass over her as her heart beat faster. She let out a small chuckle.

"No, I don't suppose you were. So, you want to know about me? There isn't much to tell," she began.

"Try me," he replied, relaxing into his seat.

* * *

One hour and two drinks later, they were still alone in the booth. Jess had told Nick about her job, her friend Cece and growing up in Portland. He told her about his roommates, dropping out of law school and his childhood in Chicago.  _Ah, so that's the accent,_  she thought. She loved his voice, it was low and a little gravelly and oh so attractive. It struck a chord and made her body vibrate, especially when he said her name…  _Oh, stop it! Stop thinking these thoughts._

"Jess!" she looked up when she heard her name called. It was Paul. She suddenly felt guilty and her cheeks rose into a flush again. You weren't doing anything wrong, just talking. She stood up and hugged Paul, as he moved to sit beside her, placing a dry, chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Paul, I'm so glad you're here," she said loudly. She wanted Nick to hear. She was taken. TAKEN. Taken. "This is my, er, new friend, Nick," she pointed at Nick and the men stretched out hands and shook across the table. "He works here, we've bonded over a love of alcohol," she chuckled again. _Why do I feel like I need to explain myself?_

"Nice to meet you Nick."

"Likewise Paul, actually, I see my friend here now," he paused and waved at a dark haired guy who was standing near the bar, "So I'll leave you two to it." He twisted his body and stood up, walking away. Jessica felt a wave of disappointment. She had to admit she enjoyed his company. He had made her laugh with his self-depreciating brand of humor that she seemed to gravitate towards. Oh well, she thought, turning her attention to her boyfriend.

* * *

Walking away towards Schmidt, Nick's mood sank. Those minutes with Jess had been pretty much the best he had spent in weeks. She was so lively, so funny, so… He couldn't quite put his finger on it. His heart was a little heavy as he resigned himself to the fact that nothing was ever going to happen. She was just a nice girl. I bet she is like that with everyone.

* * *

As Paul talked about his day and the problems he had had removing 500 laminated stars from the school auditorium, Jess's mind wandered. She glanced across the room and watched Nick as he talked with his buddy. She bit her lip. She hadn't wanted their conversation to end. He was so, so interesting. They really clicked, she felt it. But no.  _Paul is your boyfriend, concentrate on him_. She turned and smiled at Paul. Trying to be interested in his stories about his upcoming violin recital. And failing miserably.

* * *

It was midnight. Melissa had failed to turn up; she'd called an hour ago apologising. She'd had a major delay and wouldn't make it. Working her way through a few more glasses of sweetened wine Jess had loosened up and let herself relax into Paul's conversation. He was a good guy. He had a good heart. He was always being so nice. His clean shaven face and shiny straight hair looked so clean … unlike  _his_. Messy. Dirty even. She shook her head again.  _You've got to stop this_.

"Oh, man, I think we ought to go, early morning bike ride tomorrow," he said starting to stand up. She passed him her keys and slid out of the booth to stand up. "Shoot, I need to use the bathroom, will you be okay?"

"Um, yeah, sure," she answered and stood by the booth as he walked away. Suddenly Nick appeared, he looked a little worse for wear and his friend was nowhere in sight.

"You're leaving?" he asked, slightly slurred.

"Yeah, Paul has early morning plans," she explained.

"Shame, I was hoping we could talk a bit more." He was swaying ever so slightly.

"Maybe another time," struggling to focus on his face through the haze of alcohol.

Silently, he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye, "Hey can I tell you something?"

"Sure," she asked, curious. He leant forward until his mouth was level with her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her neck and she shivered involuntarily.

"I like you. A lot," he whispered, before pulling back.

"Hey Jess! Come on!" Paul called across from the bar, not giving her a chance to respond.

"Um, I, er, gotta go," she responded, searching his face for more clues to his motivation. Was he serious? Was he just drunk? His face gave little away as he continued to gaze into her eyes. Finally she broke away from the stare saying, "See you around?" before running over to Paul.

* * *

Nick sank into the booth Jess had just vacated and placed his head into his hands.  _That was dumb Miller, you but idiot, she's going to think you are some kind of stalker._  But her last words rang in his ears.  _See you around?_  Was that a question? Did she mean it? Sighing, he finished the last of his drink, the sting of the whisky burning his throat on the way down.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Full Bodied Red**

* * *

"Oh, I don't know Cece, it's a little tight…" Jessica said as she tugged at the black, silky material of the dress Cece had insisted she try on,.

"Tight is good Jess, we're looking for men tonight! It's your first single Valentine's Day in six years and you are not spending it sitting at home watching reruns of 'Who's the Boss!'" Cece walked over to her closet and grabbed a vibrant, red dress, before tossing it to Jess, "Here, try this."

Jess pulled the black dress over her head before wiggling into the new one, the seventh she had tried, before turning her back to Cece so she could zip her in. Facing the tall, standing mirror at the bottom of the bed, she smoothed her hands down over her hips as she studied her appearance. The ruby red colour of the dress enhanced the contrast between her skin and hair. It was fitted, with a pencil skirt reaching just on the knee, a sweetheart neckline and delicate spaghetti straps. "What do you think?" she asked.

Cece stood beside Jess and looked her up and down in the mirror, "I think we have a winner. You look hot. If I were a guy, I'd do you."

"God, don't talk about sex, it's been so long…" Jess groaned as she fell back onto the bed.

"What's it been? Like six weeks? See, this is all the more reason why we need to go out tonight," she continued to flick through her closet, before selecting a slinky, blue dress which she proceeded to try on.

"I don't know, I've never really had to, you know…"

"Picked up a guy in a bar? There's not much to it. Have a few drinks, get talking" She gave Jess a small wink before beginning to search for shoes on the racks that lined one section of the closet.

"I'm just a little nervous. I mean, what if I freak out? Start talking in silly voices? Try and show shadow puppets? " Jess could feel her anxiety rising, having spent most of her 20s in a relationship, and with another failed relationship already in the past few months, she wasn't sure how to start approaching men again. She began to take deep breaths and placed her hand on her chest, "Okay, I need to calm down. I'm just going out to talk to some guys. Maybe something will happen, maybe it won't," slowly her breathing calmed. "So where are we going first?"

"I've got to swing by this bar for an hour or so – my new agent wants to introduce me to some people."

"Okay, that sounds a good way to ease me in gently," Jess smiled at Cece, "So what's this place called?"

"Ur, I think it's Cliff's? Or Clyde's? No, it's definitely Clyde's Bar, it's near your place actually," Cece moved over to her dressing table and began to apply a few more coats of mascara to her already heavily laden lashes.

"Are you sure?" Jess asked, instantly recognising the name.

"Yeah," answered Cece, swivelling around in her seat, "Why?"

"Do you remember the night I broke up with Spencer…" Jess's voice trailed off. Cece's eyes suddenly flashed in recognition.

"Is THAT the bar you went to? Where you jumped the bartender when he gave you a ride home?" Cece sounded excited.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say I jumped him," Jess protested.

"Yes, this is perfect! He could be your guy tonight!"

"Wait, no, that's a bad idea, I mean-"

Cece interrupted, "You kissed him, so you obviously find him attractive. I'm not trying to find you a husband Jess, just a little fun and flirting. We need to boost your confidence. I mean, didn't you say he told you he liked you?"

"Well, yeah but he was drunk Cece. I remember telling a homeless guy I loved him after five cocktails…"

"Guys are different. If you want the truth from a guy you get him drunk."

Jess looked at Cece uncertainly before giving in, she could be very persistent at times and she did not have the energy to fight her on this one, "Okay, well maybe I could practice with him and then we go to the club later I'll feel more confident?"

"That's my girl," replied Cece,

* * *

After two large glasses of pre-bar wine, they took a cab to Clyde's. Stepping inside, Jess felt the fluttering of nerves in her stomach that was strangely metered by the relaxing effects of the alcohol she had consumed. It had been six weeks since she had been here – the day before she broke up with Paul. She was nervous to see Nick but at the same time excited. Her interest had been piqued on their last meeting and she wondered if the spark she had felt would still be there.

"So, do you see him?" Cece asked, looking around the bar.

"Ummm," Jess's eyes scanned the area around them. She spotted Nick, polishing wine glasses, at the far end of the bar; he was wearing a grey Henley shirt and dark slacks, "Oh…"

Cece followed Jess's gaze and her eyebrows rose, "So that's the guy…"

"What, what do you mean?" asked Jess, whipping her head around to face Cece.

"Well, I expected someone a little…taller maybe?" she pulled a face at Jess.

"Oh this was a bad idea, Cece…"

"No, it's a great idea. Look, you go to the bar, get yourself a drink, I'll find my agent and come get you in a little while. Baby steps," she placed a hand in the middle of Jess's back and pushed her towards the bar before walking off to into the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, Jess walked in Nick's direction, where he was now placing wine glasses onto a series of glass shelves. The platform shoes she was walking in caused her to wobble a little with each step; they were heavy and had a pencil thin heel which seemed impossible to balance on. When she was within touching distance of the bar her ankle suddenly gave way causing her to lurch to the left and crash to the ground with a loud thump. "Ow!" she cried. Dazed, she finally looked up only to see the concerned face of Nick Miller gazing down at her.

"Jess?" he asked with a smile on his face. Jess wished she could disappear; she felt a burning wave of shame flood through her.

"Guilty," she said, tilting her head to one side and pursing her lips.

"Well I don't often have girls fall at my feet so I suppose I should be flattered," he said with a chuckle before holding his hand out to her. Reaching out her own hand, she felt a shiver of excitement pass through her as they met and he pulled her gently to her feet.

"Um, thanks. It's these shoes…"she pointed at the causes of her humiliation before sliding onto the nearest bar stool. There was an awkward silence as Nick made his way back around the bar and Jess turned around to face him. She picked up a laminated plastic cocktail menu that was standing on the bar and studied the list of fruity drinks, waiting for him to say something first.

"You want a cocktail?" he asked finally, breaking the stillness.

"Actually I'm drinking wine tonight," she replied, replacing the menu and raising her eyes to meet Nick's , "Red wine."

"You're not very consistent with your alcohol choices, Jessica," he said as he unscrewed the top from a bottle of Merlot and poured out a generous measure.

"I like to mix it up a little. Depending on how I'm feeling," she replied.

"And how are you feeling tonight?" he asked, placing it in front of her.

"I'm feeling… " she broke off, feeling a hint of tension pass between them, "Actually, I'm not sure!" she said, letting out a small giggle.

"Alright, well let me know when you do," he said as he rested his forearms on the bar and his eyes met hers once more. "So, how are you? I was wondering if you'd be back again,"

"I'm here with my friend Cece," Jess turned and saw Cece in the crowd, she waved to her and Cece gave her a large, white smile, "She's a model and she's meeting her agent here, then we're going out to celebrate my first single Valentine's Day in six years."  _Was that too much information to give? Am I trying too hard?_

"Single?" he asked, cocking his head to one side, "What about-"

"Yeah, that ended; we weren't right for each other," Jess raised her glass and continued to look at Nick as she took a small sip of wine, feeling its warm trail trickle down her throat.  _I can do this_ , she thought,  _flirting is easy_. "So how are you?" she asked.

"I'm good, still working behind the bar as you can see," he gestured to the three feet of dark mahogany that separated them from each other.

"I can see that. I actually like to watch a bartender work, I find skilled people interesting," she swirled her wine around her glass and looked up at him though her thick black lashes.

"Really?" he asked, a little incredulously.

"Really," she echoed, nodding her head. "Everyone has a talent, right?" she felt her confidence grow as Nick seemed engrossed in their conversation. She wondered if he remembered what he had said to her that last time he had seen her. That he liked her. A lot.  _Nah_ , she thought,  _he was just drunk_.

"So, do you have any news? Been up to anything exciting lately?" Jess began to coil a thick strand of hair around her finger as she talked – she'd read in  _Cosmo_  that was a clear sign you were interested in a guy.

"Yeah, I'm great, it's weird actually-" Nick was cut off when a voice from across the bar started calling his name.

"Nick, Nick! I need you to help me change some lines," shouted a short, redheaded server.

He gave Jess an apologetic look, "I gotta go help Marie, hey, just stay here, I'll be back. I want to finish catching up with you."

"Okay," Jess nodded as he turned away. She was just beginning to work on her wine when she felt an urgent tapping on her shoulder.

"Hey, wha-" she twisted around to see Cece standing behind her. "Hey Cece! I'm getting my flirt on, I think something mi-"

"Jess…" Cece interrupted. Jess saw Cece's serious face and was a little worried.

"What? What's wrong?"

"It's Nick. He is seeing someone. He has a girlfriend." Jess felt herself physically deflate; the confidence boost she had acquired in the last half hour was swept aside and replaced by a feeling of foolishness and folly.

"How-How do you know?" Jess asked, sinking the remains of her wine and licking her lips.

"I was talking with the server, she said he's dating some lawyer or something. I'm sorry." She put a comforting hand on Jess's shoulder.

"Why are you sorry? He was just a rehearsal remember?" Jess tapped her hand on the bar and held up her glass to the fair-haired bartender nearby who started to pour her another glass.

"Yeah, but I kinda got the idea you liked him."

"Maybe I did a little, but it's not like we're in love! I barely know him. Besides, plenty more fish in the sea," she said, taking another large gulp and trying to hide the sting of disappointment.

"Well, if you're sure. Actually I want you to meet someone," she took a hold of Jess's arm and pulled her towards the booth she had been just left, "His name is Mark and I think you'll like him."

"Great," Jess replied, letting Cece guide her away from the bar and trying to convince herself of the truth of her own words

* * *

An hour later, Jess was 2 further glasses of wine down and they showed no signs of leaving the bar. Cece was talking to a fellow model called Fabio and they appeared to be getting along very well – Cece was practically sitting on his lap. Jess sighed. Mark was a nice enough guy but he was incredibly boring. He was an accountant and that seemed to be the only topic he could talk about. If she heard the word audit one more time… She placed a thin lipped smile on her face as she nodding as he continued to talk, "…You see most people think that tax compliance applies only to companies with turnovers of more than 100k but that's not true…" God he was dull. Finally, Jess could take no more.

"Mark, you seem like a great guy but I've just got out of a relationship…"

"Oh, I understand, I broke up with someone recently to…" he continued to talk as Jess's eyes wandered around the room. And she saw him. He was watching her and Mark. Staring actually. What is he doing, she thought, feeling her body temperature rise several degrees under his gaze. The intense way he was looking at her made her uncomfortable.  _What right has he to make me feel that way,_ she thought _, he is the one who flirted with me when he has a girlfriend_! She quickly moved her eyes back to Mark and made a decision. If you're looking me, I'm going to give you something to look at.

"Actually, you know, I'm being silly, it's been over a month and I need to start to move on. Hey let's get another drink and get to know each other a little better," she slid closer to him in the booth and bit her lip teasingly.

"Oh, okay," he replied, quickly raising his hand to get the waitress's attention as Jess snuck another look at Nick through the corner of her eyes.

* * *

As he served the steady stream of customers who arrived at the bar, Nick kept one eye on Jessica Day. He had been disappointed to see she was no longer at the bar when he returned from the basement; he was sure she had been flirting with him. But now, she was sat 20 feet away from him, practically pawing at some guy in a bland, grey suit. At first she had seemed to be bored of his company, but then she had suddenly changed. She did not seem like the kind of girl who hopped from guy to guy and he couldn't understand what she was doing.

He was mixing a vodka tonic when he heard her laugher ring out across the room. Looking up, he saw her head tilted back and her arm grasping the shoulder of the guy she was with.  _What does she see in him_ , he thought as he quickly looked away, sighing. This girl had gotten under his skin. There was something about her and he still wasn't sure what it was but he felt a connection, and here she was flirting with some other guy right in front of him. He was sure she felt it too. Turning to his customer he placed the drink in front of them, "That'll be $6.00."

* * *

It was getting close to midnight and Cece had disappeared about an hour ago. Jess was still putting on her best flirt with Mark and she had been pleased to see Nick taking a keen interest in her activities. She found pretending to like Mark was easy – it was acting and Jess loved to act. "Hey, Mark, I'm just going to go to the ladies room, can you get me another drink?" she asked placing a hand on Mark's leg and squeezing it.

"Yeah, sure Jessica," he said eagerly as she slid out of the booth and walked away, making sure to put a little wiggle into her walk and desperately trying to stay balanced after 4 glasses of wine.

* * *

He saw her stand up and walk away from the booth and he knew he had to do something. He might not see her again; damn it had been pure chance he had met her at all. Normally, he wasn't a risk taker but something about her made him think it was worth it. Walking away from the customer next in line, he began to chase after her.

* * *

She was walking along the dark corridor to the bathroom when she hear urgent footsteps behind her, "Jess, wait up." Turning around, she saw Nick standing, breathing heavily.

"What are you-"

"Who is that guy Jess?" he asked without letting her finished.

"He's a friend of a friend, why do you want to know?" she responded, feeling secretly pleased her tactics had got his attention.

"Well, he doesn't seem your type," he stated, placing his hands on his hips.

"What? I mean, you barely know me, how do you know my type?" she stepped back a little, surprised at his answer.

"I think I do. He's just all wrong for you," a silence began to form between them as Jess's mind whirled.  _So, does he like me then? But he has a girlfriend. Damn you Nick Miller._

"I don't mean to be rude but what business is it of yours who I date? I've met you like three times. And you have a girlfriend," she crossed her arms, slightly indignant.

"I don't have a girlfriend," he quickly replied.

"Wait, what? I'm confused. The server told Cece…" her voice trailed off as her hands dropped to her sides and her shoulders sunk a little.

"I was seeing someone. But we weren't right for each other. We broke up last night." Jess took in a sharp intake of breath and swallowed as she digested Nick's words. He eyes rose to meet his and she felt fizzle of electricity pass between them. "You see, I…It's like um…" his voice trailed off as his eyes searched her face for a response.

Unable to find the words he needed, Nick stepped towards her, closing the gap between them. Staring into her eyes, his hand rose and cupped her cheek; softly brushing it with his thumb. Slowly, carefully he tilted his head downwards and placed a warm, gently kiss on her lips. She reached up and moved her hands to his shirt as the focus of his lips moved and made a trail down her neck. She gasped as the small kisses made her skin tingle and tiny vibrations to shudder through her body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him into a closer, deeper kiss. He bent his knees a little, reaching up to her, before wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing his body against hers. Urgently he drank in their embrace, enjoying the feel of her soft lips against his, the feel of her hair as it brushed against his hands. Jessica became disorientated, the pent up desire that had lingered in her since their first meeting exploding in a flurry of emotion as their hands began to explore each other and their breathing quickened. Suddenly, a flicker of doubt flashed into her head. She pulled away abruptly, breathing heavily.

"No," she said between breaths, "Not like this." Nick looked confused and searched her face for an answer.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I can't… I don't want to be your rebound." She stared into his dark eyes with her own watery blue ones.

"My rebound… No, that's not-"

"No, it is, or it will be. This is too… Too… I just can't," rushing past Nick she ran into the crowded bar, pushing past people as she went. She quickly grabbed her purse from the table, before running outside, leaving a bewildered Mark calling after her.

Leaning against the exterior wall of the bar, Jess took gulps of the frigid night air. Still reeling from the kiss, she lay her cheek against the cool, painted exterior.  _That kiss._ It was tender, but firm, it had sent her mind in a spin. It was all that their first kiss was, but so much more. It had proved to her that she had it bad for this guy, this almost stranger. She couldn't explain it but she did. And she knew that if she let this continue it would end badly. She needed him to be sure, not fresh out of a relationship.

She heard the swing of the door opening and turned to see Nick appear in the doorway. "Jess, what just happened?" She made a decision.

"Give me your phone," she said, reaching out her hand.

"Why?" he asked as he reached into his pocket and removed the ageing flip phone which he called his. She ignored him and flipped it open and began tapping away.

"This is my number," she finished typing and looked up at him, "If, in a months' time, you want to see me, call me. Then I'll know."

"Know what?" he asked.

"That this could really be something. Not a rebound." She walked towards him and handed the phone back before heading back into the bar to find Cece.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Whiskey, on the rocks**

* * *

She'd waited. Two weeks passed. Then three. A month went by. Then, before she knew it, the first days of summer arrived. At first the disappointment stung Jessica; the wondering of the reasons and whys. It was soothed by the knowledge that she was right; she would have become a rebound, a fall back, if she had let things continue that night. Still, she couldn't help but return her mind to those kisses... The memory still sent shivers through her. But she knew that was not enough. Toe-curling, mind-spinning kisses were great - nevertheless she wanted, no needed, more. She wanted to be wanted. And clearly Nick Miller did not want her.

Luckily she had met Russell; the antithesis of Nick. He was an older guy, actually the father of one of her students. He was also very successful; he had his own business and lived in an amazing house. Russell knew how to treat a woman, he was sophisticated, worldly, wise... settled. He seemed to have life sussed out and Jessica was attracted to his confidence and self-certainty.

Dating Russell was like getting a glimpse into another world; one of cocktail hours, tailored suits, garden parties and matching crockery. In the month they had been dating she had gone to more fancy restaurants and parties that she had in the whole previous year.

Tonight Jess was taking him to one of her favourite bars. They had spent so much in his world; she wanted him to experience hers. She had begin to worry a little that their relationship was becoming a little one sided – he still hadn't spent the night at her apartment and hadn't met any of her friends. As much as she liked Russell and was flattered by his attentions, she needed to retain her sense of self and bring him a little into her world too.

* * *

He'd waited. He wavered. His hand had hovered over the dial button so many times he had lost count. But, in the end, he had realised nothing could happen. Jess had made it clear she was looking for a something. And Nick Miller was terrible at somethings. So he had decided to take the easy way out and to stick with moves he knew; dig his head in the sand and keep low expectations. In the few months since he had last seen Jessica Day his life had continued as normal. Shifts at the bar. Beers at the loft.

Tonight was Nick's first Saturday night off in months, Winston was going out on a date with Shelby, Schmidt was hitting some bars and he was looking forward to having the loft to himself, watching some TV, getting drunk and brooding over life's disappointments. Sitting on the couch he twisted the cap off his first bottle when Schmidt appeared in the living room.

"Nick, we're going out, go find something not embarrassing to wear," he said, standing at the end of the couch.

"No Schmidt, I told you I want a night to be miserable all by myself. What happened to Tommy?"

Schmidt moved over and sat down beside Nick.

"Oh, that unreliable son of a- let's just say I will not be inviting him to my summer formal," he turned to face Nick, "You've gotta come with me Nick, I need to get laid. It's been weeks and my penis is starting to forget how to work, my bed is mourning from the lack of female presence."

"Schmidt…"

"Please Nick."

"Can't you just call one of the numerous women you have already slept with?" Nick asked before taking a large gulp of beer.

"Please, you know I don't double dip."

"Jar," came Winston's voice from across the room.

"Hey, Winston, back me up. Tell Nick he needs to come out tonight. I need a wingman," asked Schmidt. Winston walked over to the living area and placed his hands on his hips.

"Nick, you're going out. Shelby just cancelled; Amy just got dumped and she needs to go console her or something like that. So we are going out – do you realize we haven't all gone to a bar on a weekend in almost six months?"

"Yes!" said Schmidt, "Guys night out!" Nick groaned before placing his bottle of beer on the table in front of him.

"Fine, I'll come. But I am not happy about this," he stood up and walked towards his room.

* * *

After having dinner at a noodle bar in Korea town they had taken a cab to Jess's favorite downtown bar. The taxi dropped them out onto the sidewalk outside of The Steamroom. It had a nautical theme, with porthole sized mirrors on the walls, netting hung on the ceiling and tables made from pieces of driftwood.

Stepping inside they located a small booth, decorated with sea shells and with anchor laden fabric covering the seats. "This place is…interesting Jess," Russell said as he lifted his hand to attract the waitress.

"Yeah, it's pretty different! But that's what I like about it. Theme bars are so fun!" she replied as she studied the boat shaped cocktail menu. A sailor dress clad waitress appeared at the table before them.

"Hey guys, welcome to The Steamroom, what can I get you?"

"Umm, can I get a 'Hello Sailor'," asked Jess.

"And I'll have a whisky, on the rocks," added Russell as the waitress nodded and moved away from the table.

Reaching across the table, Jess sought out his hand and squeezed it.

"Hey, are you having a good time? It's really important to me that you are," Russell's mouth upturned in small smile as crinkles appeared at the sides of his eyes.

"Of course I am Jess, I think it's great we are trying new places. But…"

"But?"

"Maybe after this we could swing by the Plaza?" Jess felt a small wave of disappointment wash over her.

"Oh, okay, sure," she replied fixing a not so honest smile upon her face.

* * *

"Nick, I told you to change!" blasted Schmidt as they squeezed into the back seat of the cab.

"I did man, this is a different shirt. And, it's almost clean." He replied, pulling his shirt collar up to his nose and inhaling deeply.

"All your flannel looks the same to me Nick. You really need to come clothes shopping with me. You are never going to attract a woman looking like that," he replied looking him up and down.

Winston's voice came from the front seat, interrupting them, "Guys, stop. We are on the same team tonight. Nick, you should have changed. You look like an unemployed grunge band member. And Schmidt, I've been clothes shopping with you and you could not pay me enough money to do it again."

"Yeah Schmidt and I already told you. I am not interested in attracting women, it always ends up bad," a scowl darkened his face.

"Nick, is this about that girl who you wouldn't shut up about? Correct me if I'm wrong but she basically told you to call her and you didn't right?" Winston said, turning around to face the back seat.

"As partially true as that is, you have seen my past record. I ruin things. I have made peace with the fact I will end up old and alone, living with my pet dog 'Bear', walking around in just my underpants and scaring small children."

"Dude, lighten up. I'm not talking about anything long term. Tonight's activities are strictly one night only. Except for you Winston, you're a support act tonight."

"Thanks Schmidt, I feel so special," Winston replied dryly.

"C'mon man, I need the slightly insecure, grubby, needy Nick – not the depressed, miserable, life hating one,  _that_  does not attract the ladies."

"Fine Schmidt, I will be the slightly rumpled, pessimistic foil to your everyman charm tonight, but you're buying. I have no money with me."

"Who goes out without money?" replied Schmidt.

"If you remember, I was originally planning on a quiet evening with a few brown bottles and a remote control…"

Winston rolled his eyes as the argument continued and directed the driver to the bar.

* * *

Several drinks later, the group had decided to move on, there was a distinct lack of women at Clyde's this evening and Schmidt was on a mission.

"The Steamroom Schmidt? You know I hate theme bars. They creep me out," Nick replied as they waited for another cab.

"I find them tacky personally, but women love them. And I love women."

"Schmidt, Nick's right, they suck. Why can't we just go to the sports bar? I've enjoyed us hanging out."

"Win-ston," Schmidt began sternly, "The purpose of tonight was to get laid and unless I suddenly find myself attracted to a beer swilling, Jets fan called Mike, it is not going to happen at a sports bar. Conversation over."

Nick and Winston sighed as the cab arrived and they obediently got in.

* * *

Opening the door, the three friends walked inside to a busy, bustling scene. The booths were all full and groups of people crowded the remaining floor area. The clientele was around 60 percent women.

"Feast your eyes on the possibilities," said Schmidt rubbing his hands together.

"Don't do that," Winston said, "You look like a Bond villain plotting to take over the world."

Ignoring him Schmidt continued, "My round. You guys find a place to park," with that he walked towards the bar, stopping ever few yards to smile at a woman or two.

"Remind me why are we friends with him?" asked Nick as they walked further into the bar and stopped next to a small, high table about a third of the way to the back.

"I ask myself that all the time Nick, I think it boils down to his domestic cleaning skills," Nick smiled. Turning around, he scanned the booths and tables that lined the room. The décor hurt his eyes but he had to admit Schmidt was right; there were a lot of women here. He was about to turn back to Winston when in a far corner booth, he spotted her. Jess. Quickly turning his back to her, he muttered under his breath, "Shit."

"What's up?" asked Winston. Nick took a deep breath before slowly letting it out.

"We have to leave," Nick finally replied.

"We just got here Nick, I know the boat crap is tacky-"

"It's not that," he said cutting Winston off, "She's here. That girl."

"Where?" asked Winston, whipping around to look in the direction that Nick had just been.

"Red dress, 2 O'clock."

"Oh, damn Nick. She is fine," Winston said turning back to Nick. Nick pulled a face.

"Not helpful Winny. I didn't call her; she probably thinks I'm a dirt bag."

"Look, Schmidt is never going to let us leave already. You should just go over and say hi."

"No, not going to happen."

"Fine, then you are just going to have to avoid her."

"That I can do, I will be invisible."

* * *

Jess had relaxed after a couple of strong cocktails and was starting to believe that Russell was actually enjoying himself. Excusing herself, she picked up her purse and walked toward the ladies room. She was in the middle of texting Cece an update on the evening when she walked into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said looking up. She froze. It was Nick. Momentarily she lost her ability to speak. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

* * *

Winston had gone to find out what was taking so long at the bar and Nick had been left to keep the table. He was leaning against it, his mind was lost in thought when he felt someone walk into him. "Sorry," came a voice. He looked up and there she was. Jess. His mouth went dry and he felt a little sick as a small wave of panic set in.

"Um, hi Nick. Fancy meeting you here," she finally said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I could say the same too."

"Soo…" she began.

"Soo…" he echoed.

"I'm just on my way to the bathroom," she finished, playing with her purse strap.

"Great, I'm just waiting for my friends," he said pointing toward the bar. Silence descended again. Jess pulled her mouth into a small smile as Nick's eyes searched the room and his mind sought for something to say. Finally, he decided.

"Jess, I'm really sorry about the whole not calling thing. I've just been really busy and you know…"

_Lies, Miller, that's all lies._

"Oh, that? I'd completely forgotten about it. Water under the bridge," she said waving her hand at him.  _You don't mean that, you coward Day._

"Oh, great I was a little worried-"

"Actually, I'm here with my boyfriend, Russell," Nick's heart dropped a little at the word 'boyfriend'. "You should come over and say hi later," she continued.  _What are you doing Jessica? You don't want Nick to come and make small talk with you and your boyfriend._

"Oh, sure, will do that," he nodded and smiled as she turned and continued to the bathroom.

* * *

As Jessica walked away she felt a rush of blood color her cheeks and a cold sweat began to form on her upper lip. What were the chances that the two of them would be in the same bar at the same time after not seeing each other for months? And then, that she would walk right into him?  _Fate…_  said a shy little voice, quickly squashed by a bigger louder one,  _don't be stupid._  She went over to the sink and splashed a little bit of water on her face to refresh herself. It had been uncomfortable and a bit weird, but it hadn't been a disaster. He had apologized, even though she knew he was lying. Clearly he didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying he wasn't interested. Sighing, she looked at herself in the mirror as she opened her bag to touch up her make up. Forming a frown, she scolded her inner voice –  _here you are on a date with a fantastic, wonderful man and you are fretting over some bartender you've met twice._  Beginning to apply a new coat of lipstick, she swallowed her emotions and tried to forget.

* * *

Nick was still reeling from his meeting with Jessica when Winston and Schmidt returned from the bar with a round of beers and tequila shots. "Sorry 'bout the wait, Schmidt here was trying to argue with the bartender about the tequila making process."

"He was wrong, like I told you-" Schmidt began to respond.

"You know less about liquor than I know about hair products Schmidt, drop it," said Nick sourly, grabbing a beer and a shot from the plastic tray Winston had set on the table.

"Whoa Nick – are you heading to the dark place Nick?" Winston asked as he sprinkled a little salt onto the back of his hand from the small shaker he had taken from the bar.

"Just keeping my expectations low," Nick replied, taking the shaker from Winston and copying him, "I just saw Jess and it went greeeaattt," he finished by quickly licking the salt and pouring the shot of tequila down his before finishing with a lime wedge, "Ahhhh."

"What happened to being invisible?" he asked before taking his own shot.

"It worked too well, she walked right into me," Nick said as he began to work on the bottle of cold beer.

"Who is this Jess?" Schmidt asked, leaning against the small table.

"You know, the girl he wouldn't stop talking about, the one at the bar? The one he didn't call?"

"That one? You snooze you lose brow, that ship has sailed, soooo," he lifted his beer up in between the three, "Here's to men and brotherhood, let's have us a good time."

"Ah why not? It's not like I can get make my evening more awkward," Nick clinked his bottle with Schmidt's, "Let's get crazy!" he said, pouring back another mouthful of beer as Winston looked on with a concerned look on his face.

* * *

Back at the booth Jessica's mind was not on her conversation with Russell but on Nick and what he was doing. She'd already had to ask Russell to repeat himself about 4 times. "Sorry, what?" she asked again and watched his face form a small frown.

"Jessica, is there something wrong? You seem a million miles away tonight. Am I boring you?" he asked.

"No, no, of course not. I'm just feeling a little tired," she replied straightening up in her seat, "I'll perk up in a few minutes." She smiled as Russell continued his story about how took over his first company and within seconds her concentration had waned again. She had moved seat upon returning to the booth and she could see Nick and his friends out of the far corner of her eye. Drinking shots, laughing, chatting with a small group of girls. Pretty girls. She felt a spike of jealousy prick her as she watched him place his hand on the waist of a tall, blonde girl and whisper in her ear. The girl laughed, throwing back her head.  _How generic_ , she thought,  _I thought he had better taste._

"And so that is how-" Russell was interrupted by the sharp, shrill sound of his phone vibrating. He reached into the pocket of his sleek, grey suite and pulled out his cell phone. "Sorry babe, business. I'd better go outside and take this." In reply, Jess nodded and laid her head back against the booth as Russell headed towards the door.

* * *

He had been watching her, quietly seeing what she was doing. With her that night was an older guy, handsome and with an expensive looking suit and haircut. He was clearly wealthy and he immediately felt self-conscious in his old shirt and slightly faded jeans. There was no way he could compare with that kind of class. That was the kind of guy she deserved and was looking for, clearly.

Schmidt and Winston had started talking to a group of girls and he had joined in, flirting a joking with a blonde girl named Amy. She seemed nice but a little vacant, not that Nick was really interested. He wanted  _her_  to see, to make her jealous somehow, prove someone saw him as worthwhile. He made a show of touching her and trying to make her laugh. Just in case she was watching. Not that he could work out why she might be.

Suddenly, he saw this guy stand up and leave the booth, cell phone in hand. Something inside him snapped, like a rubber band that had been stretched too far. He grabbed another beer from the stack on the table and turned to Amy, who was telling him a story about how she once turned her hair green by mistake and said, "Would you excuse me a minute?" and walked off in the direction of the booth as Schmidt and Winston looked on in disbelief.

As he made his way to Jessica, his resolve faltered somewhat.  _What on earth was he going to say to her? Why was he doing this?_  Although he didn't know the answer, his feet kept on moving until he reached the booth and, without asking, slid onto the seat next to her.

"Oh," she cried, visibly surprised as she looked up, "Nick?" She felt her body become acutely aware of his presence on the seat next to her. He was about 6 inches away, but she may as well of been sitting in his lap for the way it was making her feel.

"Jess," he began, feeling the effects to the alcohol more acutely all of a sudden, "I need to say I'm sorry. For not calling." He placed his hands on the table in front of him.

"Nick, I already said it's fine..."

"I know, but I feel like a dick you know?" he sighed.

"Seriously, it's fine, I've moved on. I'm here with Russell."

"Russell? That's a fancy name," he replied.

"I guess," she said taking a sip of her martini, "He's the father of one of my students. He runs his own business. Very successful." Nick wasn't quite sure what Jessica was trying to do with these details but he felt they were barbs aimed at his own situation, her way of readdressing the relationship balance he had tipped by not calling her. She had moved on and caught a really big fish.

"That's great, really, I'm happy for ya," he held out his beer and gently tapped it against her glass, "To onwards and upwards," he finished. She felt the sting of his comment. Perhaps she hadn't needed to comment on Russell's richness.

An uneasy silence fell upon them before Nick continued once again, "Jess, can I ask you something and you can say no, I'd understand." Intrigued Jess nodded her head.

"Okay," she replied.

"Do you think it's possible that we can be friends? I think you are a great girl and I like ya, I don't want things to be awkward because of…" he trailed off. "But I think we could be good friends. I think we're kinda similar, in a weird way."

Jessica thought for a second and chewed her lip as she studied the lightly stubbled face of Nick Miller, his slightly crumpled shirt, with the top few buttons undone and the sleeved rolled up to show his tanned forearms. He was handsome in a mussed up, sexy kind of way as opposed to Russell's slick and groomed kind of good looking. In fact, he was the exact opposite of Russell, the opposite of the kind of guy she should be going for. So in a way, that made it safe. She knew he wasn't interested and she knew she shouldn't be.

"O-Okay Nick, I think that sounds good to me. You're a nice guy, mostly," she smiled and he felt himself squirm a little, "Just please don't chase me down any more corridors." He laughed and reached over and took a hold of her hand that was set on the table next to her glass.

"I promise," he said, his eyes sparkling. As their hands met, she felt a little jolt go through her and she flinched a little which caused him to squeeze her hand that little bit tighter. She swallowed and looked at his large tanned hand, enclosing her small pale one. She raised her eyes and met his, they both held their breath.  _Was he feeling this too?_

* * *

The urge to reach out and hold her hand had felt as natural to Nick as taking in oxygen. The spark that he felt pass through his, as he did so, had taken him by surprise and startled him. He looked over to see her looking at their hands, before her head lifted and engaged him in an earnest stare. He swallowed. W _hat was going on?_  He opened his mouth to speak when he was beaten to it.

"Jess, sorry about that, business in China. Time differences," they were both shook out of their stupor at the sound of Russell's voice. Jessica quickly retracted her hand and placed it on his lap as Nick's returned to his beer bottle.

"Hey, Russell, this is my, er, old friend Nick, he just dropped by to say hi," Jessica explained. Russell held out his hand to Nick and gave him a firm handshake.

"Nick, nice to meet you man."

"You too, Jess had been telling me about you," he said. Y _eah how I could never be anything like you._

"Oh really?" he raised his eyebrows at Jessica who felt another blush rise, "Join us for a drink?" he asked.

"I, er, I've got to be getting back to my friends. Guys night," He said apologetically, raising his shoulders.

"Hey, I understand."

"Great to see you Jess," said Nick standing up.

"Yeah you too Nick, call me sometime and we can catch up," she said as he moved out of the booth.

"I'll do that," he said, staring into her eyes and saying unspoken words in a glance, before he turned around and walked off into the bar.

* * *

**Chapter 5: A Dark 'N' Stormy**

* * *

Their correspondence had begun with a four word text message. It had been the morning after their meeting at The Steamroom when Jessica had been awoken by the beep of her phone.

HI JESS, IT'S NICK.

Her heart had jumped a little when she read it. She was acutely aware of Russell lightly snoring next to her. Wrapping herself in a sheet, she quietly left the room and padded into Russell's study.

HEY NICK. I'M SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM YOU.

YEAH WELL I MEANT WHAT I SAID - I'D LIKE TO BE FRIENDS. WHY DON'T YOU COME TO THE BAR ONE NIGHT AND WE CAN HANG OUT?

She hesitated. Was this a good idea? Then she heard the sound of footsteps, Russell was awake. "Jess?" he called. Quickly, she typed in her reply.

SURE, I'LL BE IN TOUCH

Silently, she slipped the phone under her leg as Russell approached, "Hey you," she smiled at him, feeling slightly guilty.

* * *

Their first meeting, as friends, had happened later that week. Russell was busy so Jess went with Melissa to the bar, having a rare chance to catch up between her flights. Melissa had instantly warmed to Nick, chiding Jessica about keeping this guy a secret. Jessica had smarted at her flirtatious behavior, but swallowed her feelings with a smile.

That night, they had also met Nick's roommates for the first time; Winston and Schmidt. Winston was funny and laid back; he'd known Nick since they were children and peppered his conversation with in-jokes and references to embarrassing things that Nick had done. Schmidt was sharper tongued and more self-conscious. He had instantly turned the charm on Melissa – who loved the attention. Jessica felt a small wave of relief that her focus on Nick had moved.

They had spent the evening chatting; when Nick's shift was over they had all moved to a large booth at the back of the bar and they had talked and laughed, joked and debated for another few hours before Jess and Melissa needed to leave.

As they left the bar, Winston had rounded on Nick; he'd been surprised, very surprised, to see this girl, "Nick, what's going on? Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

"Relax, Winnie," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We're friends. That's all. She's a nice girl."

Winston stared at Nick; not believing a word he had said.

* * *

Their meetings had gained in frequency as Melissa had started dating Schmidt. They had started hanging out at the bar more often, ostensibly because it was close to their apartment but Jess enjoyed the opportunity to talk with Nick and often hung out at the bar when Melissa and Schmidt would disappear. Sometimes Cece would join them, curious to see how this 'friendship' between them was working out. Cece didn't believe guys and girls could truly be friends. Especially when they had history.

One night they were sitting at the bar together when Nick was busy serving other customers. Jessica seemed lost in thought as she watched him pour drinks and make small talk. "Jess."  
"Hmm?" she murmured, turning to face Cece.

"What the hell is going on here? You're dating Russell last time I checked."

"Yeah," she said, composing herself, "I am and it's going great."

"So what's this thing," she continued, gesturing between her and Nick.

"I told you, we're friends. F-R-I-E-N-D-S. We've moved on. I just like his company."

"Really?" Cece replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Really," Jess replied taking a sip of her drink through its black straw.

"Well… Just be careful. Russell is a great guy and I think this could be… dangerous." She looked at Jess seriously.

"Wait, do you not trust me?"

"I do…It's just- I can see when two people are attracted to each other," Jess blushed heavily at the truth of Cece's words, "And I don't want you to ruin a relationship that might be endgame for you."

Jess smiled at Cece's concern, "Don't worry Cece, I know what I need in my life. Trust me; this is all friendship, nothing more."

* * *

In the weeks since they had decided to be friends, she had learned a lot more about Nick. He believed people were inherently bad, he seemed to have low self-esteem and seemed irrationally angry a lot of the time. For a normal person this would have been off putting but Jess found her sunny personality perfectly deflected his rather negative one and she challenged him at every turn.

He seemed resigned to a life of loneliness and bad relationships, as he had once told her; "I'm the guy you find yourself spending more and more time with until you meet your husband." He'd talked more about his relationship with Caroline; how she'd gradually worn down his confidence. She'd told him that Caroline didn't deserve him, which had made him frown in response, "Whatever that means."

He'd even confided a little about his family – she'd gathered his father was absent and unreliable for a lot of his formative years and he'd had to become man of the family at a young age. Her heart ached a little for this fragile, damaged person and she began to better understand his actions. She thought back to their earlier history, the kisses, the non-calling – was this linked? Was it really a lack of self-worth and confidence that put an end to whatever it could have been? She shook the thought out of her head as quickly as she could, not wanting to pursue that avenue of inquiry, it was too dangerous.

* * *

One evening, Melissa and Jess were chatting with Schmidt when he made an announcement.

"Ladies, next Saturday is my birthday and you are invited to the hottest, raddest party ticket in town. Roof party at our loft, it's gonna be smokin'!" Melissa turned to Jess and shrieked.

"I love a party! And I can't believe I'm not working, you have to come Jess, and we've not had a crazy night together in months…"

"I don't know, you see Russell and I-"

"Bring him," interrupted Schmidt, "I'd like to meet the money maker." Melissa playfully punched Schmidt – he had heard about Russell and his wealth but not actually met him.

"Yeah," came Nick's voice arriving at their table with a tray of drinks in his hands, "Bring him." She turned to face him and observed the sad, serious look in his eyes.

"Okay then, next Saturday it is," she replied, picking up her second glass of rose.

"Yes!" screamed Melissa, as she began to pump Schmidt for information on decorations and guest lists. Jess sat back in her chair and ruminated over the thought of Nick and Russell being in the same room together for an extended period.

* * *

As it turned out, Russell was on a business trip the following week and wouldn't return until that Saturday evening. She had given him the address of the loft and he had promised to get there as soon as he could.

Getting ready with Melissa, she had felt a nagging nervousness tug at her belly. She hadn't spent a great deal of time with Nick without three feet of bar between them and this was the first truly social setting that they would be placed in. She was apprehensive at this test of their…friendship. With small waves of nausea washing over her, she had carefully styled her hair and applied her make up.

* * *

Arriving with Melissa at the loft, Jess had found it hard to keep still in the elevator.

"Ants in your pants?" asked Melissa, giving her a funny look.

"Ha ha," Jess had replied, turning away from her. Feeling the need to calm down and compose herself, she quickly unscrewed the bottle of red wine in her hands and poured a large mouthful into her throat, before wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

"Jess!" Melissa laughed, staring at her roommate disbelieving. In reply, Jess shrugged her shoulders,  _Dutch courage,_ she thought as she took another long swig of the fruity wine.

* * *

They took the elevator to the fourth floor and then walked the remaining short flight of stairs to the roof. When they arrived, the party was in full swing. Music was playing from speakers dotted around the area and small fairy lights were strung from the furniture. At one side there was a makeshift bar constructed from plastic crates and stocked with coolers full of iced bottles of beer. The rest of the area was littered with an odd collection of furniture and chairs –obviously plundered from the apartment.

Walking over to the bar they were greeted by Winston, "Ladies, welcome to LA's premier rooftop party – can I get you a drink?" Jessica held up her partially drank bottle of wine whilst Melissa asked for a beer. Winston gave Jess a plastic wine glass which she filled generously with fragrant red wine and began to sip eagerly.

"Where's Schmidt?" asked Melissa energetically, a wicked smile on her lips.

"Uh, I think he's down in the loft, getting more ice or something." Melissa gave Jess a pleading look.

"Oh, go on," Jess said finally. Melissa kissed her on the cheek and then skipped off towards the door. "So I guess I'm flying solo for the time being," Jess said, laughing nervously.

"Yeah, they seem to be pretty into each other…But Schmidt won't want to miss his own party. I'd say give them half an hour," he ended with a wink which made Jess laugh again, more sincerely this time. Someone started calling Winston's name from the other side of the roof.

"Hey, will you be okay for a little while?" he asked.

"Sure, I'm a big girl," she replied as he disappeared to discover what the problem was. Jess walked over to a folding chair, near the edge wall, that had an outlook over the city and started working once again on her wine and pondering what the evening would bring.

* * *

Nick entered the roof, lugging a large sack of ice over his shoulder. He restocked the coolers before selecting a glass and filling it with a handful of ice. Picking up a bottle of dark rum he poured himself a generous measure before taking a can of ginger ale from one of the coolers, topping up his drink and taking a long, leisurely sip.

"Hello stranger," he looked up from his glass to see the smiling face of Jessica Day in front of him.

"Jess, you made it."

"Yep, Melissa's already ditched me though and Russell's not here yet so I'm flying solo for now," Nick smiled. He suddenly noticed how beautiful she looked, but she always looked beautiful to him. "What ya drinkin'," she asked, pointing to his glass.

"Ah," he replied, "This is a Dark 'N' Stormy."

"That sounds… dangerous. What 's in it?"

"Dark rum and ginger ale. Wanna try?" he held the glass out to her and she gingerly took it from him, their fingers brushing against each other for the briefest of moment, causing their eyes to dart to one another's. Gently, she brought it to her mouth and took a slow sip, allowing the cool liquid to fill her mouth, taking in its flavor. He pursed his lips as he watched her, holding his breath until she spoke.

"Mmm," she finally said, lifting up her head.

"You want one?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. They were silent as Nick mixed another cocktail and then they walked together to the wall and sat facing each other. Dusk had now fallen; the sky had darkened and in the distance the twinkling lights of the city gave a magical glow to the horizon. They both stared into the distance for a few moments, drinking their drinks, deciding what to say.

She broke the silence. "You know Nick, I'm glad we became friends. I mean, it's been weird, I know. But I like you. You're a good guy."

Nick smiled, "You know, that means a lot Jess. We haven't had a conventional start but I'm glad I met you too, you're a great girl." Jess grinned in response; she felt relaxation seep through her body as she breathed in the cool night air.

"I guess some things happen for a reason," she replied.

"I guess they do. Actually, there has been something I have wanted to tell you." She looked at him quizzically, wondering what on earth it could be. "A couple of weeks ago, I bumped into Caroline." Her brow furrowed – _Caroline, the woman who had crushed him? Almost broken him?_ "Anyway, we got to talking and we decided to give it another shot."

Jess was momentarily speechless. Her mouth opened and closed as her mind whirred, seeking a response. "Nick, didn't we already talk about this. You told me she used you, she saw you as a back-up plan, was always putting you down…" she trailed off as she saw his face darken a little.

"Jess, I was just following your example, remember you talked about the kind of person you should be with, not letting fantasy get in the way of what is best for you. Caroline's not perfect, but she's what I deserve."

"Nick, wait, you're totally missing the point of what I meant. I meant you need to be reasonable but that doesn't mean settling," she reached out and touched his arm, "Don't you see, she's not good enough for you? She chewed you up and spit you out." She stared into his eyes until he pulled his arm away.

"Maybe that's what I deserve. Like you deserve your fancy man," Nick's words prickled Jess's sensibilities. He had hit a nerve. Silence descended again as the mood changed. Finally, he stood up, "I'd better go check the bar," he said, moving away before she had time to respond.

* * *

The evening wore on and Melissa finally returned and convinced Jess to come mingle with her and Schmidt. They drank, laughed and danced, though a small storm cloud covered the back of Jess's mind after her conversation with Nick.

* * *

Russell entered the roof and looked around; the place was packed. He'd tried ringing Jess but got no answer,  _no wonder,_ he thought,  _it's so loud._  He walked over to the bar where a dark haired guy was sitting, nursing a tumbler of something amber colored.

"Hey," he began, "Do you know where Jess is?" The man turned around and Russell could see he was a little drunk already.

"Uh, not really –wait, are you Russell?" Russell nodded in response and the guy immediately stood up and pumped his hand eagerly, "I'm Nick, Jess's friend, she's told me a lot about you. Join me for a drink?" Russell looked around anxiously.

"I don't know, Jess-"

"Ah, she's with Melissa. Come on, one drink."

"Alright," he replied, "One drink," and he pulled over a nearby chair and sat down next to Nick, who poured him a glassful of pungent Whiskey. Nick held up his glass and tapped Russell's.

"Cheers."

They conversed easily and Russell told him about his business, his past and how he had gotten where he was. "I was a lot like you when I was younger, lost, no real direction. Then one day I woke up and it all clicked. I started my own business, built it up and here I am now." Nick nodded in admiration at the older man. He really had it all together. He could see why Jess was attracted to this; success was an aphrodisiac.

"Russell, don't take this the wrong way, but you are my idol," his speech was a little slurred by now, "You seem to have it all together, made the right choices." Russell smiled and drank.

"Well, thanks. But don't think that it came easy. It took a bumpy road to get to the point where I could become what I am now." Nick nodded and rubbed his thumb against the cool, curved glass.

"Russell!" Jess's voice rang out amongst the music and he stood up and greeted his girlfriend with a large hug, picking her up a little. Nick looked on, unsure how to feel.

"Nick, talk to you later?" Russell said, taking Jessica's hand and turning to leave. Jessica, for her part, locked eyes with Nick for perhaps a few seconds longer than necessary, before following his lead.

* * *

A little while later, they had reunited with Schmidt and Melissa and had taken over a quiet corner of the rooftop. Melissa sat happily on Schmidt's lap as they laughed and joked as Jess and Russell sat opposite them, chairs pushed close together. Schmidt was sharing stories about the scrapes he, Winston and Nick had gotten into over the years.

"I can't believe it's all going to change when Nick moves out," he said, sighing.

"What do you mean, when Nick moves out?" Jess asked.

"Didn't he say something to you?" Melissa said quizzically, "He's moving in with that girl, Carol? Coral?"

"Caroline," said Jess sighing. "But I thought they had just got back together?"

"Yeah well he said some crapola about not wanting to waste any time, her lease is up so they are moving in together."

Jessica reflected silently on this news as the conversation continued around her. She couldn't help but feel she was partially responsible for this turn of events and she felt sick –she knew it was a mistake and she didn't know if Nick Miller could take another failed relationship with that woman. Feeling anxious, she stood up quickly, "Would you excuse me for a moment?"

"You alright Jess?" Russell asked concerned.

"Um, ladies room," she said quietly and Russell nodded as she walked away.

She looked around for Nick unsuccessfully before locating Winston talking to a pretty girl in a bright yellow dress. "You seen Nick, Winston?"

"He went down to the loft to get more beers…You okay?" he noticed she looked a little agitated.

"Yeah fine," she said before turning away. Winston didn't believe her and wondered what on earth was going on between those two.

* * *

The apartment was still and quiet in contrast to the frantic air of the rooftop. Stepping inside she heard the noise of bottles clinking together coming from the kitchen area. "Nick?" she called out. The noises stopped and Nick's head appeared from around the corner.

"Jess? Whatya doing here?" he asked.

"I needed to talk to you about something…" She walked over to the kitchen and stood next to the island worktop, placing her hands on its smooth surface.

"What is it? Oh, and Jess, Russell – he's great, amazing, if I wasn't straight, I'd be jealous." Jess placed a twisted smile on her face.

"Er, thanks, I guess. But Nick, what I wanted to say to you…" her voice trailed off as she studied his stubble covered face, "Caroline. Are you really moving in with her?" She waited for an answer as he closed the cooler door and moved across so he was stood opposite her, his arms resting on the surface. He nodded his head.

"Yes, yes I am." Her heart sank a little at this declaration.

"Nick…"

"You know, she's the closest I've been to making it work, we managed five years. So I figured, let's give it another shot."

Jessica could restrain her frustration no longer, "Nick she ruined your life. She put you down, she treated you like dirt!" He looked at her, wide eyed.

"What the hell Jess? What does this have to do with you? You've got your fancy man – don't I deserve someone?"

"Of course you do Nick, but you deserve something real and good, not some bitch who doesn't appreciate you!" Jess began to breathe heavily as the passion inside her rose.

"Don't call her a bitch. You don't even know her!" Nick leaned across the table, his face twisted.

"I don't need to know her," Jess emphasized her point with her hands, "I've seen you, how messed up you are. You have no idea of your own worth; she has you believing you need to settle for something…something," she searched for the right words.

"I like to settle Jess. I'm settling for something I know. I don't like the unknown. It's scary and it bites you in the ass. If this all blows up in my face, at least I'll be prepared for it."

"Well that's the dumbest thing I ever heard. Nick Miller is a coward. So scared of the unknown he'd rather get treated like crap than risk something new." He words made Nick start,  _Was she talking about…_ She continued quietly, "You deserve more Miller. You deserve love."

He stared at her, in disbelief at her speech. He'd never seen her this impassioned. "No, Jess, this is what I deserve. I mean what is love anyway? Life isn't some fairy tale. You don't always get a happy ending." Her heart at once bled for Nick, she felt his pain, his sadness. He really had no sense of self-worth. She walked about the counter top until she was standing next to him. She took hold of his arm and looked up at him.

"Nick, love isn't like that. It's an ache, deep down inside you, it fills you, makes you want to be a better person. It wakes you up in the morning with a smile and is the last thing you feel before you go to sleep. It makes your heart skip a beat and makes you want to do anything, anything, to be with that person," she swallowed, "You deserve that. You're not just somebody's safety net."

He stared into her earnest blue eyes and felt the honesty in her words. He felt an involuntary tug towards her, but he stopped himself. "Do you love Russell?" he asked.

"I-" her voice dropped off. She continued to look into his eyes as she breathed heavily. The tension was thick between them and she could feel the pressure rising in her stomach, pulling her towards him. Her eyes searched his face, stopping on his lips before darting back up to his eyes.

Nick felt the permission in her glance. He knew it was wrong, her boyfriend was only feet away and he was with Caroline now, but he felt the magnetic force push him towards her, inching closer as she gradually raised herself onto her toes, he could feel her soft breath on his face-

"What the hell is going on?" They broke apart and turned in the direction of the angry voice. It was Russell and he looked infuriated. Jess was disorientated for a moment, before she quickly stepped towards him. "So this is why you came down here, huh?" he continued.

Jess began to babble, "No, wait, I can explain…" Russell turned and stormed out of the apartment, not waiting for a response. Quickly Jess glanced over her shoulder at Nick, giving him a last sad look, before chasing after Russell.

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Pick Me Up**

* * *

Radio silence. That was how Nick thought of the weeks following Schmidt's party. She had been in the bar with Melissa on a few occasions but they had both avoided each other. He had heard from Schmidt that she and Russell had broken up and he felt intensely guilty; he'd screwed up something good she had going through his own impulsive behaviour.

A part of him knew this was only half true; she had been as much a party to the almost kiss in the loft kitchen as he had but it didn't ease his conscience. As a result, he'd decided to keep as far a distance as he could from her, avoiding any possible rerun of those events. But he had to admit he missed her, talking to her, laughing with her. In the time before the party they had become somewhat close and intimate as friends; he'd opened up to her more than he had to anyone in a long time. And now that was lost.

His phone had vibrated whilst he was in the shower that morning, slipping out from the curtain he had picked it up from the side of the sink where he had left it and saw he had a text message. As he flipped the phone open, he made a sharp intake of breath as he saw it was from Jess.

NICK, IT'S JESS, HOW ARE YOU?

He paused, confused and unsure how to respond. This was unexpected and he wondered what her motivations were for texting him now, after weeks of avoidance.

GREAT JESS, THANKS, YOU?

He replaced the phone and slipped back under the warm water to wash the soap away before turning off the shower and drying his body with a towel. He heard his phone vibrate again against the porcelain of the sink. Wrapping the towel around his waist he stepped onto the cool, tiled floor of the bathroom and read her reply.

ACTUALLY, I'VE HAD A BAD WEEK. YOU BUSY? I REALLY NEED A FRIEND TO TALK TO AND CECE AND MELISSA ARE BOTH OUT OF TOWN.

Looking up from his phone, he observed himself in the mirror.  _What should he do?_  Part of him thought he should say no – nothing was going to come of this - friendship with Jess seemed doomed to failure and the more he tortured himself with thoughts of her the more difficult it was becoming. But the other side of him wanted to know what was wrong, console her, be her friend, even with the realisation that that was all it could be. Finally, he tapped a reply.

I'M WORKING THIS AFTERNOON BUT YOU COULD SWING BY, IT WON'T BE BUSY.

Quickly, her reply buzzed his phone. THANKS NICK, I'LL SEE YOU LATER.

* * *

His eyes watched the clock as his shift at Clyde's progressed; every time the door opened he held his breath, expecting her to enter. As time moved on, and the day progressed, he began to think she had changed her mind, so at 2pm he was pleasantly surprised to see her walking towards him at the bar.

She smiled as she lifted herself onto the patent leather barstool but he noticed this expression did not reach her eyes. Her lids were slightly hooded and faint black circles rimmed her lashes, making her look tired. Her hair was wavy and wild and even with a smattering of make-up she looked paler and less vibrant than usual.

"You made it," he said, smiling back at her.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late; I'm not feeling great right now."

"What's wrong Jess? I was surprised and a little worried by your message, especially after…" his voice trailed off.

She put her face in her hands, "Nick I'm sorry, this is so awkward, I needed to talk to someone and I know things have been, well a little strange lately, after…" she sighed a little and looked up at him with pleading eyes, "But I have no one else to talk to right now. Okay, now I feel pathetic," she dropped her eyes and began to play with the clasp of her purse on top of the bar.

Nick looked down at her and felt his heart softening, "Hey, c'mon talk to me. Whatever- whatever has happened before, I still consider myself your friend."

She looked up again, her eyes a little red, "Well, last Monday I lost my job. Budget cuts. So for the past week I've been staying at home in my pyjamas, eating ice cream and watching bad daytime TV. I don't know what to do with myself - I feel lost. I've never not worked. And I love teaching so much," she sighed.

He smiled at her honesty, "Aw, Jess, these things happen to everyone at some point in their life. I'm sorry about your job; I always thought you seemed like a great teacher. But I'm sure you'll get another one."

"Maybe, eventually. But the school year has started and it's going to be so hard," she took a deep breath and looked up at him sadly.

"Hey, Jess. Don't get upset, cheer up. It's not the end of the world. Look, you're healthy, you have friends, you're in…" he was about to say in a relationship but then he remembered about Russell. Her eyes met his and registered what he was about to say. A silent acknowledgment passed between them.

She nodded, "Yeah, I figured you knew about that," she pursed her lips as she looked at him. The energy between them grew in this moment, reaching a peak where Nick felt he had to speak to disburse it.

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. And, you were right about Caroline." She gave him a questioning look, "After the party, I did a lot of thinking about what you said, and it all made sense. I was rushing into something that I didn't want or need because I was scared of being left alone. So now I'm working the solo angle; I think I need to find myself before I involve anyone else in this crazy."

"Oh, well, I'm glad. I was really worried about you, Nick," she reached out and patted his arm.

"Thanks," he said, removing his arm quickly, "But I think it's you who needs the TLC today. Ever had a Pick Me Up?" She shook her head and bit her lip, "Ah, well I think if there was ever a day for one, then this is it."

Turning away from her he gathered his ingredients; he picked bottles of cognac and grenadine from the shelves at the rear of the bar before locating a cocktail shaker and finally removing a bottle of orange juice and a bottle of champagne from the under bar cooler. "Oh, this is looking fancy," she said as she watched, he looked at her and smiled in response.

She rested her elbow on the bar and placed her head in her hand as he began to construct the cocktail. Quietly she observed him; she'd actually shocked herself when she had texted him – they'd left things in such a weird place at the party and although they had seen each other in the intervening weeks the closeness was gone. The days and weeks following the party she had chastised herself for her behaviour – Russell had ended things the following day, saying he couldn't trust her, not believing something was happening with Nick. He said he had suspected for a while but didn't think she was 'that kind of girl'. It had hurt to have someone she cared about talk to her in that way, but she understood. There was something between her and Nick, but she was beginning to realise it was just friendship; anything more seemed impossible.

As she watched him work the realization hit - she had missed him; she'd grown used to their conversations and his company. Sitting at the bar, watching him work, she felt all the unease melt away, the connection they had made earlier had weathered the storm and she felt grateful for his friendship.

Carefully he poured out measures of cognac, grenadine and orange juice into the shaker before topping it with ice. Taking a tumbler, he had patted the two together and with both hands shook the contents; they both smiled at each other as he did so. After a minute, he had placed the glass down and tapped the shaker so it broke free from it. Reaching behind him he had selected a martini glass placing it on the bar in front of her. Next, he had strained the contents of the first glass into the new one, taking his head down so it was eye level with the top of the drink.

She was enjoying watching this. When she had told him earlier that she enjoyed watching talented people, she wasn't lying. She knew Nick thought he was not good at anything but she knew he had a talent for this and was sure he had other, untapped skills, to explore.

Unpeeling the foil from the champagne, he had twisted the cork from the bottle, making a soft pop as it did so, before topping up her glass with the fizzy alcohol. He garnished her drink with a slice of lemon, a strawberry and small pink cocktail umbrella.

"Wow," she said as he placed the drink on the napkin in front of her, "This is awfully fancy for a Wednesday!"

"Sometimes Jess, you gotta be a bit extravagant, plus, I don't often get to make these kinda things, I enjoy it."

"Well, thank you, it looks great," she lifted up her glass, "Cheers?" she asked. He picked up his own Coke from the behind the bar and tapped her glass.

"Yeah, cheers. To onwards and upwards."

* * *

Jess felt so mischievous drinking on a weekday afternoon, but the cocktails Nick was supplying her with were so delicious they were indeed helping to melt away her problems, if only for a day. She was drinking her third Pick Me Up, the fruity, bubbly liquid tickling her tongue as she sipped it and the three cocktail umbrellas that had garnished them now decorating her hair. Walking over he placed his hands on the bar, "That's an interesting way of keeping track of your drinks," he laughed, pointing to her hair. She raised her hand and patted her coif.

"Don't you like it? I think I'm going to start a new trend!" she smiled broadly; this time her eyes lighting up a little as she did so.

"Well if it makes you happy…" his voice trailed off as he shrugged his shoulders, "In any case, you're looking a lot brighter now, is the alcohol working?" he asked. She licked her lips, tasting the sticky sweet residue of the cocktail that coated them.

"Well, it's certainly helping. But I think it's the company too – sitting at home dwelling on things was not helping. And to be honest, I've missed talking to you." She felt the cocktails loosening her lips a little.

"Well, I've missed talking to you too Jess. Can I just say, I feel like a crossed the line at the party – I shouldn't have asked you if you loved Russell, it was not my place," Nick felt relieved at being able to get that tid bit off his chest. He'd wanted to apologise properly since she walked in the door.

"It's fine Nick, to be honest you were right; I didn't. I was doing exactly what I told you not to do – settling for what I thought I needed rather than being brave and looking for the real thing. But it's in the past now, let's move on."

"Okay," he replied.

"You know what Nick? I think I need to rethink my whole outlook. Maybe losing my job was a good thing? Maybe I need to try and reinvent myself, find the new Jess," she gave him a wide eyed look.

"Personally I like the regular Jess," he replied.

"But change is good right? I need to be more adventurous, take a few more risks…" she finished the rest of her drink before pushing the glass towards him.

"More?" he asked raising his eyebrows and she nodded eagerly.

* * *

It was 7pm and Jess was still sat at the bar, though she'd switched drinks to a vodka soda on Nick's advice – the five umbrella's from her cocktails decorating her hair as a reminder of those that had come before. He'd convinced her to eat something and had brought her a tray of nachos – worried she was going to get too drunk, she didn't seem the kind who was used to an all-day session.

Her glass was sat on the bar as she picked at the nachos – pulling them apart so the melted cheese formed fine strings between them before popping them into her mouth. From the other side of the bar he watched her, smiling at her relaxed manner and chuckling at her silly, tipsy behaviour. Taking a drink, she placed her hands on either side of the glass and placed the black straw in her mouth, drawing up a quantity of alcohol, "Hey Nick, look, no hands," she said smiling with the straw between her lips.

"Great Jess," he called from across the bar, shaking his head as he handed a customer their change.

Walking back over to her he grabbed a nacho from the plate, quickly placing it in his mouth. "Hey, don't you steal my nachos!" she exclaimed, in mock horror.

"What?" he asked, picking up another, "These nachos?" and chewing on it. Her eyes widened; they looked huge now as the alcohol had relaxed her and dilated her pupils. Swiftly, she reached over the bar and grabbed his glass of Coke, quickly downing it.

"Hey!" he cried. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, placing the glass down and letting out a small hiccup as she did so.

"All's fair in love and war Miller," she smiled.

"Love?" he asked, in a low voice, leaning closer to her across the bar. She paused and locked eyes with him.

"Yes," she said, pausing again, before picking up another cheese coated chip and biting into it, "Of nachos."

A confused feeling passed over Nick, he felt the flirtatious energy passing between them again, and his urge to be near her increasing but was it the alcohol? Maybe this was her being friendly? He shook his head as he went to serve another customer, more confused than ever about the status of their 'relationship'.

* * *

Watching him walk away through the haze of alcohol she felt that familiar pull towards him, the pull that had helped to end her last relationship. She was confused, the alcohol had muddled her thoughts; she thought they had settled on being friends, clearly he was just being friendly. She needed to drop these thoughts from her mind immediately…

"Hi, excuse me are you Katie?" came the voice from behind her. She looked around and saw one of the most handsome guys she had seen in a long time. "I'm Sam from Cupid Match," he continued.

Jess paused momentarily with her glass in her hands, unsure what to do, before deciding to play along, be daring, "And I'm the girl from my dreams of you."

"You are Katie, right?" He'd asked again. She cleared her throat and nodded.

"Yep."  _Just a little white lie Jessica._

"Finally," he said, taking a seat next to her.  _So, s_ he thought,  _cute guy thinks I'm a girl from an internet dating site. Time to practice being the new Jess._  They talked for a few minutes, he asked her questions about their 'e-mails' and she quickly made up answers –becoming more outrageous as she went, though he didn't seem to care or at least didn't show it. Eventually he suggested moving to a booth, so she picked up her purse and drink and followed him to the other side of the room, making a small backward glance to see if Nick had noticed.

* * *

Rounding the bar from the stock room he noticed Jess had gone, he shrugged,  _those drinks must have finally hit her,_  he made a note to call her later and check she was okay. He was in the middle of serving a regular when he heard her throaty laughter from across the room, he looked in the direction that it came from and was momentarily stunned to see her sitting in one of the circular booths with a tall, blonde man. W _hat the…?_  he thought, absentmindedly handing a bottle of beer across to the waiting man and collecting the $4.

Walking towards the far end of the bar to get a better view, he pretended to refill small bowls of pretzels as he watched them laugh and joke, she was smiling and touching his arm. He felt a dart of jealousy pierce him.  _Who was that guy?_ Impulsively, he decided to find out. He wasn't supposed to leave the bar but he grabbed a plastic tray and lifted the hatch before walking over to where they were sat. He approached their table and picked up her empty glass. She quickly looked up and registered his presence.

"Hey Nick, this is Sam," Nick smiled and nodded at the stranger.

"Hey Sam, can I get you a drink Je-"

"Katie, remember Nick, my name is Katie – Oh Sam he can be so forgetful," Nick pulled a confused expression and Jess continued to beam at him. He decided to play along, curious.

"Okay,  _Katie,_ Sam, what can I get you?" he asked again.

"Oh just a beer please," Sam said, taking out his phone. Jess glanced at him and then back to Nick, she saw Nick's confusion wash over his face.

"Actually, I feel like another cocktail, let me come with you to the bar so I can choose, you okay for a few minutes Sam?" she asked; he nodded, engrossed in what he was reading.

Moving away from the booth, Jess pulled Nick aside.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, balancing the tray on one hip.

"He seems to think I am a girl called Katie from some website so I decided to play along, remember I said I was going to be more adventurous?" He sighed.

"I didn't think this was quite what you meant. Isn't this dangerous, you have no idea who he is?" She smiled at his concern.

"It's just a little silliness Nick. But please can you call me Katie? I'm wondering how long I can keep this up before he figures it out." Sighing again, he shook his head.

"Okay fine, but I'll be watching you. I don't trust guys who need to go online to get a date."

"I don't think he  _needs_ to go online to get a date…" she said, looking back over her shoulder and raising her eyebrows.

"You know what I mean, be careful."

"I will," she replied simply, following him to the bar to collect their drinks.

* * *

Nick was close to calling time at the bar – he had seen little of Jess the rest of the evening. The bar had filled and he had found it difficult to see their booth, never mind leave the bar itself. Finally as he rang the gold toned bell that hung from the ceiling, he caught a glimpse of them. She was sitting on his lap. They were kissing. Passionately. His face dropped and he quickly turned away, upset by what he saw. Silently he chastised himself;  _she's just having fun Miller, nothing to do with you._  Although he knew this was true, he still felt pained. He couldn't deny his feelings for her were still there, bubbling beneath the surface.

Brooding, he served the last few customers who came to the bar, his mind preoccupied. Finally he looked over and they were gone; half-drunk drinks left on the table. They'd obviously left in a hurry.

That was when the realisation hit; he'd blew it, again. He wanted her, wanted to be with her, he was falling for her and was too chicken to do anything about it. Too afraid of rejection; of the unknown quantity that was their relationship that he had let her slip through his fingers again. Placing his face in his hand he felt his mood drop as the feeling of regret washed over him.

_Great job Miller, you wasted yet another chance._ He lamented over his cowardice and wondered if the chance would ever come again. And then, if he would be brave enough to take it.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Green Fairy - Part 1**

* * *

Hypnotized, he pushed the blue cloth from side to side on the polished surface of the bar. Back and forth it went, its purpose long fulfilled since he had picked it up. Time had seemed to pause as his eyes were transfixed on a point across the room. She was laughing; her eyes sparkled as she shook her mane of glossy hair and swished it over her back. Her lips were red and delicious looking, the smile curving at the corners of her mouth making it only more attractive. The luminous, velvety soft skin of her face was punctuated by her large, mesmerizing eyes that drew him in like a snare into a trap. Every time he looked at her, he saw something new; in truth he believed he could examine her for a lifetime and never fully discover the true extent of her beauty.

The hand that began to slip over hers on the table in front was an unwelcome addition to this image. As it did so, she turned and looked at the handsome man with the fair hair who sat mere inches to her right. Animatedly they talked, he watched her bat her eyelashes coquettishly at this intruder; he flinched as his face lowered towards her. He began to turn away—didn't, couldn't see them kiss, but his fears were slightly allayed as his lips instead moved to whisper something in her ear. Instantly her eyes flashed in surprise-

"Hey Nick, y'okay? Look a million miles away," Nick was jolted from his transfixion by the sound of Big Bob's soft yet booming voice. He shook his head a little, making a small smile.

"Nah man, just thinkin'," he replied, picking up the cloth and tossing it behind him. Sighing, he turned around he crouched down and started to refill the under bar cooler with bottles of Heilsner. Focused, he twisted the bottles, lining them up in rows, making the labels all point in the same direction, trying to distract himself from the green-eyed-monster that was awakening in his belly. It tossed and turned inside of him, twisted his stomach into painful knots. Images of her and him permeated his thoughts; smiles, scenarios, his hands on her, her hands on him… Slamming the cooler door, he picked up the box that had held the beer and angrily began to tear the corrugated cardboard container into small pieces. As he did so he felt his vexation rise, the satisfying rip of the material fuelling him on. Rip, rip, rip- until nothing was left except a brown and white mess of cardboard. Blowing his breath up towards his eyes, he slowly stood – reaching for the broom to tidy the debris he had just created.

"Jeez Nick, what did that box ever do to you?" He was momentarily stunned by the melodic sound of her voice coming from over the bar. His head spun to face her – she was looking at him with a bemused expression, her glossy, inviting lips pursed together like twin cherries.

"Uh-" He wasn't sure how to respond at first. They had had only a handful of conversations in the few weeks since she had lost her job and met that guy, Sam, in the bar. He was nervous and skittish around her; acutely aware of her yet he felt she had no idea of the effect she had on him. Finally his lips parted into a small smile, "Jess, uh, nothing- the box is innocent."

"Well I'd hate to see how you'd treat a guilty box!" she said laughing a little as she moved closer to the bar, placing her purse on the surface.

"Hey, we have table service tonight, you should have stayed with your, uh, friend," he said, glancing uncomfortably in the direction of her companion.

"Yeah I know, but I wanted to say hi. I feel like we haven't really had a chance to talk since…" she shrugged her shoulders a little to finish her sentence. Slowly, he nodded in agreement.

"Where does the time go?" he asked, rubbing his lightly stubbled chin with his hand. "So, what's your poison?"

"I will take a mojito please, barkeep, and my companion will have a Coke."

"Just a Coke?" he asked quizzically.

"Yep, he's on call tonight. He's a doctor," she explained. Nick's heart tightened a little at this piece of information as he grabbed a bottle of Havana Club, lime wedges and a bunch of mint.

"Oh," he said as he began to grind a mixture of sugar, lime and mint into a tumbler, "That's great." He added a scoop of crushed ice to the glass as he picked up the tall rum bottle, "So you're…" he began to ask, raising his eyes to meet hers. Her head was slightly bowed and her eyes obscured a little by her bangs, but he could see their piercing blue color clearly.

"No, he's not – we're not….dating. It's just a thing," she answered as he topped up her drink with a spritz of soda water and then filled a glass with ice and Coke. Finally, he garnished her drink with a sprig of mint and lifted the glasses, placing them in front of her.

"Well, as long as you are happy," he said flatly, "Or at least having fun." She tilted her head a little as she tried to gauge his meaning; there seemed to be little truth behind his words but he didn't seem to want to expand on his statement. "I'll put those on your bill," he said shortly, "Talk to you later." Abruptly, he turned away and began to sweep up the pieces of cardboard that littered the floor.

Slightly irked, she picked up the two drinks and began to make her way back to her table. Unease spread through her –Nick had not behaved like his normal self, or at least what she knew of him. Her brain buzzed with thoughts during the short walk, wondering what was wrong with him; though deep down her heart began to whisper an answer –  _he's jealous._  The idea spread through her quickly, like wildfire – only stopped in its tracks as she reached her booth and returned the smile to her face and pushed these thoughts into a corner of her mind.

* * *

For the next few hours he had avoided her – she'd approached the bar on at least two more occasions, both times he had pretended not to see her and moved to serve another customer or walked to the other side, letting Big Bob take her order. He felt foolish but he didn't think he could take any more of having Jessica Day's love life rubbed in his face. Naively, he had been under the impression that if they kept a distance from each other, her hold over him would lessen, her impact on him would decrease. But over the months of knowing her, he could only acknowledge that his feelings had grown and continued to. So now, he decided avoiding her completely was the only way forward.

Finally, at close to midnight, Big Bob rang the final call bell and the last few drinks orders were placed. There were few customers remaining, mostly regulars who spent most of their waking hours nursing a cold glass of beer. Involuntarily, he glanced over to the couple he had been avoiding; he watched them stand up, she shrugged a short black jacket over her red dress. Her tall companion slung a casual arm over her shoulder and they walked towards the exit. As they passed close to the bar, he saw her eyes fix upon him.

* * *

When she looked at him, she noticed his eyes looked sad. She was disappointed that they hadn't had another chance to talk, Jess felt paranoid – had he been avoiding her? Her gaze fixed, she saw him give her a small, acknowledging nod as they walked past. Talking a deep breath, she walked with Sam out the door.

* * *

"You sure you're okay to finish up?" Big Bob asked as he pulled on his large, black leather jacket.

"Yeah man, I've got nowhere to be," he answered.

"Okay, owe you one dude," he raised his fist to Nick's and they bumped hands. Walking over to the door, Nick opened the lock and Bob disappeared into the night's darkness as he closed and re-secured the door behind him.

His mind was distracted as he finished tidying the bar, emptying the small trays of nuts and pretzels that lined it into the bin. Wiping down the surface one last time, he began to whistle a little tune, trying to not think about her. He turned to the bottles of spirits that lined the shelves behind the bar and checked for empties, straightening them a little so their labels faced outwards. Vodka, Rum, Gin, Whisky… So many ways to achieve the same result. Forgetting. Forgetting life's troubles and worries. Finding peace in the bottom of a bottle was a favourite tactic of his, his primary move when life got tough - he'd learned that from his dad. His eyes continued to glance over the labels until he reached a slightly faded, older one. Jade green in colour with fancy curled writing adorning it. Picking it up, he rolled the bottle in his hand, the green contents swishing around as he did so –looking an even more unnatural colour.

Quickly he made a decision – time to drink, time to ease his mind. Reaching under the bar he located a short tumbler and made a long pour of the sweet, pungent liquid into it. Slowly he brought it to his lips; the violent smell assaulted his nostrils, shaking him into alertness. Without thinking, he quickly tipped the contents into his mouth, feeling the burning, calming sensation as it streamed down his throat into his stomach. He looked at himself in the mirror that stretched behind the bottles. Again he poured another shot into his glass, this time he raised his glass to his reflection, "Cheers Nick Miller, you officially suck at life," before this drink joined the other one, stinging it's way into his body. He replaced the glass to the wooden surface with a soft thud.

A clattering at the door shook him from his introspection.  _Damn, Bob must have forgotten something,_ he thought as he grabbed the large set of keys and walked towards the bar door. Sliding the silver key into the lock, he turned it quickly, pulling the door in only to see Jess standing there.

"Nick, thank God you're here, I forgot my keys," she said, smiling in relief. He didn't know how to respond at first, so he stepped aside allowing her to enter the room before looking outside.

"Where's…"

"Sam? He got called into work, I was going to go home and I realized I must have dropped my keys," as she spoke she walked over to the booth where she had been sitting. She began to search around the seat and floor before triumphantly raising her clasped hand in the air. "Thank God! Melissa is on a trip, I would have been screwed if I'd have lost these."

"Well that was lucky," he said quietly, moving back to the bar. "So, you need a cab or something…"

"Someone once told me cabs are hard to come by here," she said smiling and moving to the bar herself.

"Yeah, I've been told that myself," he said smiling and moving through the hatch behind the bar again.

"I'm not in any rush, wide awake and no one is home. I can stay a little while, while you lock up. If you want that is," she added quickly.

"Actually I'm just having a drink," he said, lifting up the bottle and his glass and placing them in front of her.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked.

"Absinthe," he said nodding his head, "The green fairy."

"Oh wow, I've never tried it. Doesn't it make you go insane?"

"If you drink enough of anything it will make you insane, Jessica. Want to try some?" She hesitated, worried about the effects of the alcohol on her, she didn't want to jeopardize anything by getting drunk…

"Okay," she said finally, "Why not. But just a little." Wordlessly he retrieved another tumbler and poured her half a fingers worth of liquid into the glass. Picking it up, she swilled the contents around, watching the green alcohol coat the sides. As she began to tilt the glass towards her mouth, she watched him pour another of his own, quietly taking in his slightly dishevelled hair, the dark stubble that covered his face and his black shirt, unbuttoned to give just a hint of hair-she felt a shiver of desire ride through her.  _Stop,_ she thought, quickly tossing back the drink, barely allowing time for herself to swallow it. Immediately her senses were assaulted by the strong aniseed taste of the drink, overpowering her. The alcohol vapor caught in her throat and she began to cough.

"Y'alright there?" he asked with a little laugh.

"Sure," she said, in a strained voice, "Just a little stronger than I'm used to," she replied, her eyes watering a little.

"Let me sweeten it up for you a little," he said, selecting a champagne glass from behind him, he poured a tiny amount of the offending liquor into it them took a bottle of already open champagne from the fridge and topped it up. As he placed it in front of her, the liquids mixed and swirled, turning cloudy. She watched it, fascinated.

"It's hypnotic," she said, drawing it to her lips. "Mmm, that's much better," she said as she sipped it. "So, are we allowed to do this?" she said, pointing at the drinks. He shrugged.

"I won't tell if you won't," he said, taking another drink.

They both finished their drinks and he refilled them both, a comfortable silence between them, each evaluating the other. She watched as he tipped back his tumbler; his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, the prominent vein on the side of this neck throbbing slightly. He focused on her hands as they rubbed the glass stem and twisted it in her hands. Finally she raised her glass from the bar. "Let's make a toast," she said.

"To what?" he asked, looking up at her.

"To friends?" she asked hesitantly. Nodding his head, he moved his glass towards hers.

"To friends," he echoed. She licked her lips as she placed her glass down.

"Hey Nick, I have to ask, were you avoiding me tonight? I tried to some say hi a couple of times…"

"What? No, just busy y'know, only me and Bob on the bar tonight." She nodded her head, not believing him. How could she get this guy to be honest?

"Hey, how about we play a game?"

"A game?" he asked, his voice raising.

"Yeah. Truth, dare or drink." She raised her eyebrows. He briefly considered her motivations, why does she want to play a game, why is she even still here… until he silenced his inner voice with the rest of his glass.

"Sure, how does it work?"

"Well, I need to be there," she pointed at his side of the bar and began to walk around to the other side of the bar, "And we take turns – truth, dare or drink. If you choose the drink, the other person gets to pick it."

"Okay Day, you're on. But you need to be warned, I have a strong constitution for alcohol," he said smiling at her.

"We'll see," she replied, "Okay, you choose first." He took a breath and thought.

"Dare," he said, placing his hands on the bar.

"Okay, I dare you to," she looked around the bar, "Eat three lemon wedges. Whole." She picked up the small bowl of fruit and handed it to him.

"You can tell you are an amateur Jessica," he said as he popped a wedge into his mouth, his face twisting as the sour fruit attacked his tongue. He quickly chewed and swallowed two more before giving her a triumphant look, "Your turn."

"Ummm, truth," she decided, moving closer so she stood a couple of feet away from him.

"Alright," he rubbed his chin as he thought. A crazy idea popped into his head and he said it before he could think, "What do you see in that guy?"

"Sam?" she asked. He nodded. She shrugged her shoulders a little, "I don't know…He just came out of nowhere. It's uncomplicated and he's not looking for anything, not expecting anything. It's an easy option." He was silent as he digested her response.

"Truth," he said without her asking. "Another drink?" he asked and she nodded. He grabbed a couple more glasses and reached for a bottle of Jack Daniels, pouring 2 fingers in each one, "Something a little lighter."

A haze of tension began to fill the air as she felt the mood shift; she felt he was pushing her, wanting to see where she would take this. She decided to call him on it. "Okay, tell me one thing, one real true thing about yourself that I don't know."

He leaned on to the bar and mulled over his whisky as he thought.  _Tell her, tell her, tell her_  … the voice inside his head shouted. "I'm scared of birds," he said.  _Coward,_ told himself.

"That sucks, Nick! Terrible answer. Drink," she turned around and grabbed a bottle of ouzo and poured a shot into his whiskey, "Go on." He did as instructed, his face wincing as he drank.

"Same question to you Jess," he said as he topped up the glasses with amber liquid. She bit her lip and contemplated what to say. The alcohol was making her feel a little reckless. She decided to push Nick Miller one more time and see what he did.

"Well, for a while, I thought something was going to happen. Between us, I mean," she quickly brought her glass to her mouth as she watched the meaning of her statement pass over him; seeing a glint of something in his eyes that she couldn't quite define.

He mulled over what she had said. W _hat is she playing at?_ He felt confused.  _Is she just drunk?_ "Are you drunk Jess?" he asked with a little nervous laugh.

"No," she replied, "But doesn't alcohol make you more honest anyway?"

"So they say," he answered, ignoring what she had said before. He took a deep breath, "Alright, truth."

"What were you thinking when you saw me with Sam tonight?" she asked.

Staring into her eyes, he paused for a second before refocusing his gaze on the glass in his hands, "Honestly? I hated it," her breath caught at his unexpected words, "I hate the guy. I hate any guy who is with you." His candor caused a wave of sickness to pass over him and he turned away from her and rested his forearms on the bar. She could hear her own breath as the weight of what he said settled on her. "Truth Jess – why did you come back here tonight? Why did you stay?"

"That's two questions Nick," he turned back to look at her and she stopped and dropped her eyes, "I'm not sure, I needed my keys…I think –I think I left them on purpose. I wanted to see you." She turned so the bar was behind her, placing her elbow on it and leaning back so she could see his face but his eyes still focused on his glass.

"Truth," he said quietly. This is it, she thought, ask him-

"How do you feel about me?" she asked, taking another sip, her gaze still on his face.

His heart thudded, this was his chance, the moment he never thought would happen. She was outright asking him how he felt; this was no longer a game. This was the time to say something, be honest, even if it would crash and burn, he had to try… Slowly he lifted his eyes and met hers.

"Jessica," he said in a throaty voice that sent a tingle down her spine, "I think you are amazing. Crazy, weird, but amazing," he took another drink, "Since I first met you, you've been stuck in my head. I don't know what you have done to me. But it was never the right time…" he began to shake his head slowly.

"Is there ever a right time?" She asked, moving a little closer. He sighed. Her large blue eyes bored into his and he felt his misgivings and insecurities melt away.

"No, I guess not," he moved his hand to her cheek and drew closer to her, "Jess, I can't keep waiting to catch you between boyfriends," she began to laugh and was caught off-guard as his lips quickly located hers, stifling her response. Hungrily he pulled her close, pressing his body against hers, leaning her back over the bar until they broke away breathlessly, still embracing each other.

"Truth, what do you think about me?" he asked, breathing heavily. He held his breath as she answered.

"I-I," her voice quivered, she realised she'd never honestly asked herself this question, "I can't stop thinking about you, you fascinate me and I'm drawn to you... I can't explain it." There was another pause as a slow smile began to spread over Nick's face and he pressed her hips more firmly against his own, rubbing her back with his palm.

"Dare," she said, in a barely audible whisper, "Kiss me."

In a fluid movement, he tilted her head back and swooped down as she raised herself onto her toes to meet his kiss. As his soft lips met her inviting ones, his hands slid up her back and pressed her chest towards him in a deliciously suffocating embrace. She dug her fingers into the material of his shirt, enjoying the feel of his muscles moving as his arms enveloped her. Hooking her hands over his shoulders she pulled herself tightly against him before her hand worked its way into his thick, dark hair. Quickly, his hands moved lower and as he held their kiss he lifted her up so she was sitting, perched on the bar. Her legs wrapped around his body, welcoming him closer to her, as their kiss deepened.

She was lost in this moment, her desires releasing in their caresses, the culmination of months of uncertainty and longing, revealed. Her body buzzed and clawed for more, her hands hungrily raking over his.

He didn't have time to think, his body worked instinctively, layering her in hot passionate kisses as his hands explored her curves and enjoyed the warm feel of her body pressed against him. This was it, she wanted him too.

Briefly they paused and caught their breath, he looked up at her and saw her eyes wild with passion and desire; he knew his own beheld the same gaze. They knew what they both wanted in that instant, not wasting a second she began to unbutton his shirt…

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Green Fairy - Part 2**

* * *

As her fingers worked their way to release the small buttons of his shirt, she moved closer to the edge of the bar and pressed her mouth once again against his. His own hands slid under the soft fabric of her dress that skated over her thighs and moved higher until he reached her hips; he could feel the silky material of her panties and his thumbs rubbed over the rounded shape of her hip bone, causing her to shiver a little.

With his shirt released, her fingers began to run over the hair-scattered skin of his chest, he groaned a little at this touch, the most intimate between them so far. His fingers dipped into the band of her underwear and his hips pressed towards hers. The red dress she wore was closed with a row of buttons down its front, like a shirt. Pausing her kisses, she reached to her own clothing and began to undo them, teasingly, one by one. His breath slowed as he watched her, unable to move at first,  _this was really happening._

Impatient, he moved to help her, the buttons slowly peeling away to reveal her red underwear - silky and lacy - perfectly offsetting the pallor of her white skin. "God your beautiful," she let out a small nervous giggle. He took in the sight of her, flushed skin, open dress sitting on the end of the bar, legs encircling him, "I've dreamed about this…"

"So have I," she replied and he gave her a shocked expression.

"Really?" he asked breathlessly.

"Really," she replied. He took that as permission to move things forward. Resuming his kiss, he slipped her dress slowly over her shoulders and let his hands linger on her back, reaching for the clasp of her bra and unfastening it. She gasped a little as she felt it loosen then she shrugged her shoulders so the straps moved forward. Her hands buried in his hair once again while he began to place soft, tantalizing kisses down her neck and chest, as his hands slid around her, before finding the smooth skin of her breasts, working his way around them, squeezing them gently.

Her back arched at the feel of his hands on this rarely touched skin, his thumbs skated over her nipples, making them harden in response. He wanted to taste them. Moving his mouth to their pinkness, he swirled his tongue, gently suckling on the hardness, causing her to moan again a little louder; the yearning that was developing in her groin increasing. Lying back over the bar, his body bent to follow hers, her head dipping over the edge, mind spinning. His kisses moved lower and lower until his lips began to trace the outline of her underwear and his hand reached for the apex of her legs and began to rub gently, causing her to whimper.

Eagerly, his hands dug into the silky material and pulled it down over her thighs, his nails dragging along her soft skin as he did so. She moved her legs slightly apart, in a silent permissive gesture. His mouth returned to his trail, teasingly kissing all around the area where she wanted his lips to be, "Goddam Miller you're a tease," she said, raising up on her arms a little to meet his eyes. He smiled a wry smile before his tongue found the sweet spot she desired, turning, flicking, twisting around her knot of nerves. One hand slid over her stomach, reaching for the soft skin of her breasts as the other slowly delved inside her, taking in the warm feel of her, imagining…

She squirmed under his touch; he felt her body react to his every move in a state of hypersensitivity. Raking her hands against the sides of her head, she found herself losing her self control and her breathing became a moaning pant.

Her reaction to his touch thrilled him; he wanted more. Reluctantly moving away from her, he placed his hands beneath her back and lifted up her body so their faces were close. Wordlessly she wrapped her legs around him, and he picked her up from the bar. Eyes locked, he walked with purpose, her shoes falling from her feet as they moved. Reaching his target, he sat her down once more on its edge before using his hand to push away the remaining balls that lay on the pool table.

The feel of the prickly felt against her thighs was forgotten as she reached for his thick, leather belt and silently pulled it undone, before, one at a time, releasing the buttons of his fly, finally removing his shirt, tossing it to the floor. As she watched, he pushed down his jeans and kicked off his shoes; his erection was clearly visible, protruding violently from his underwear. His eyes were transfixed on her nakedness, "So beautiful," he muttered as he pulled close to her once again.

Impatiently she dug her hands into his underwear as he resumed his exploration of her body, he groaned as her fingers grasped around his hardness, desire multiplying by the second; the feel of her touching such an intimate place all most too much for him to handle. The next few minutes became a blur of hands, mouths and gasps as his remaining clothing was discarded. He paused again and looked into her large, round eyes, "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Hell yes," she replied with a smile. Quickly he grabbed his jeans and found the condom that he kept for such emergencies (though admittedly he'd not had to use one yet) and slipped it on. As she waited, she stared up at the ceiling in disbelief; this was really happening.

His hands returned to her hips, pulling her closer to him and catching her by surprise. Gently, he eased inside her until he could go no further; her body ached in satisfaction as she felt him filling her. He paused and looked at her face, so open and honest, before he began to slowly move, circling his hips as he did so.

She could feel him in every part of her; he was under her skin, in her mind, her body absorbing him. As his movement continued she lifted herself up onto her hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning slightly back. His own hands took hold of her waist and rocked it towards him. Synchronized they became one, moving together, the swell rising between them. He began to lose his grip on his control, his hands moved so they were flat on the table, using them to propel his body, moving faster and faster…

Her body slipped back, she let him lead, taking her deeper and deeper into her own body, losing grasp of where she was until she finally broke free and the energy inside her released in a powerful orgasm. The feel of her body beginning to stiffen beneath him pushed him quickly after her, "Jessica," he moaned as he shuddered with his own release.

Gently, he rested his head on her stomach as he caught his breath, before placing a kiss on her skin and raising his head. He caught her eye and he smiled, she giggled a little in response. They'd done it, taken that next step. But where would this new path lead them.

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Mimosa After**

* * *

Licking her dry lips, the papery feeling in her mouth and the slight pounding in her head was a reminder that she had drunk a few too many drinks last night. Slowly stretching out her arms, Jess began to yawn as her eyes started to pry themselves open. At first, her vision was blurred; a lack of sleep and dehydration making her vision foggy. Blinking, the gauze over her sight began to disappear and the world gradually shifted into focus.

Initially she was confused, the yellow poster lined walls were unfamiliar; feeling about her, the cotton sheets felt strange under her fingers. She began to sit up in the bed and found she was wearing a blue man's t-shirt, soft and worn. Finally, her memory of the prior evening began to filter through the haze of hangover. Nick. She pulled the shirt to her and breathed in the scent of him, still lingering on its fibers. Smiling, she laid her head back on the wall as memories of last night's revelations and activities began to emerge in her mind. She giggled a little as she remembered everything. Truth or dare, what she had said to him, what he had said to her. It still didn't seem real but she felt giddy all the same.

The door to the room began to swing open and she pulled the bed covers up to her armpits, unsure who it was. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw Nick enter the room carrying a tray, his hair mussed up and a smile on his face.

"Well good morning gorgeous, how's sleeping beauty feeling?" he sat down on the edge of the bed and placed the tray beside him.

"Honestly? I've felt better," she replied, placing her head in her hand.

"I'm not surprised; you passed out in the bar and I had to bring you here."

"What? No… seriously?" she asked him in a shocked voice.

"Yep. Not long after we, erm. Well, we were talking and it was like the absinthe just hit you all at once and you lay your head on the table and that was it. I didn't know where you lived so I brought you to my place. I hope you don't mind." She was touched by his sweetness.

"Of course not, thank you for looking after me. I'm so embarrassed." Her cheeks began to turn a slightly red shade as if to prove her point.

"Hey don't be. The first time I tried absinthe, I stripped naked and ran the streets with a traffic cone on my head and a sock on my penis shouting, 'I'm king of the world!'" She giggled.

"No you didn't. You're just trying to make me feel better," she said as she dropped the covers to her waist, relaxing a little.

"Sadly, I wish I was," he paused and moved the tray so it was between them, "So, I've gotten together a few of Nick Miller's guaranteed hangover cures. First up, we have the good, old-fashioned Alka Seltzer," he lifted up a glass of water and two chalky, white tables, "Next up we have bacon and eggs, as a wildcard I've included a banana, I hate them but I've been told they work, and finally the piece de resistance, hair of the dog," he finished pointed to a tall champagne glass filled with orange liquid.

"Isn't that orange juice?" she asked a little confused.

"Ah, that, dear Jessica, is a mimosa," he said raising his eyebrows.

"Ohhh," she said slowly, "Well I think I need to try a few of these otherwise the little elf that is banging on my head may never go away." She picked up the two small tablets and dropped them into the water, watching them fizz. She spun the contents in her hand, waiting for the bubbling the stop before pouring the contents down her throat in one got. Placing the glass down, she shuddered a little, "Yuck!"

"Here, try some eggs, take the taste away," he said, pushing the plate a little closer to her. Silently watching her take generous mouthfuls of scrambled egg and bacon, he shook his head to make sure he wasn't imagining this morning. Even a little worse for wear, she looked gorgeous. The large shirt she wore made her look smaller and more vulnerable and her hair was messed up. Perfect, he thought. After working her way through half the plate she finished with a few large sips of the sweet, tangy mimosa.

"Mmmm," she said, closing her eyes as she swallowed, "This should make me feel worse but it tastes so good," she flashed her lids open again and engaged him in a smile. "This is really sweet Nick."

"No problem, you're my guest," he insisted as he placed the tray on the floor.

"Well thank you, I appreciate it. I'm so… so glad this isn't awkward," she smiled as she tucked a strand of wavy hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, me too Jess," he admitted as he moved over to lay on his side, resting on his arm, "I really enjoyed last night."

"Me too," she agreed. They fell silent as they tried to decide what to say next. She finally spoke first, "I really don't know what to say now. I've never really been in this situation…"

"Me neither," he interjected with a nervous laugh. She watched him as he began to anxiously rub his hands together. He's nervous, she thought. "I mean, last night, last night was-"

"Amazing."

"Yes, but was it just… you know, do you see this as like a-"he gave her a small pleading look as he sought for the right words, "A one night thing?"

"Why?" she asked quickly, "Do you?" her heart began to thud a little as this new possibility dawned on her.

"No!" he replied a little too loudly, "Sorry, I mean no, it's just we didn't do a whole load of talking, you know, afterwards." She shifted forward so she was lying on her stomach, her face inches from his. Looking into his dark eyes, she raised one side of her mouth in a smile and reached a hand out, running her fingers through his hair.

"If I'm honest, I have no idea what this is. This whole thing has been, well, weird. But it's 100 per cent, definitely not a one night only deal," she pushed her face closer to his, "Seriously, you're not getting away from me that easily." He laughed in response and began to rub a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Well, that's a relief," he admitted. "Jess, I hope you understand, I meant what I said last night. It wasn't the green fairy talking."

"I know," she replied, "So did I. I don't know what we have here but I do know I'm excited about the possibilities."

"Excited?" he growled.

"Yes," she replied a little breathlessly, detecting the tone of desire in his voice, "Very."

An overwhelming urge came coursing over him as he detected her acquiescence. Sliding her closer to him, he pressed his body against hers, his hands slipping down her t-shirt towards her barely concealed buttocks. His fingers ran in small circles over the soft skin as he watched her eyes grow larger and her breathing slow. Grabbing his shoulders she rolled onto her back, pulling him with her, launching into a passionate embrace as he tugged away the t-shirt that covered her body.

* * *

They lay, her head on his shoulder, his arm resting on her waist. A light mist of perspiration covered their bodies as they enjoyed the feel of closeness that had descended over them; the only sounds their light breathing and the slowing of heartbeats.

He placed a kiss on her forehead, "How's the hangover?" he asked.

"A distant memory," she answered, turning her head towards him. "I can see this becoming quite the addiction Mr Miller."

"Agreed, Ms. Day," he replied has he moved to kiss her again. He found those soft, pink lips irresistible.

"Unfortunately we do have to get up at some point-" she was cut off as the door to the room swung open and Nick's roommate, Winston, barged into the room.

"Nick," he began, "What have you done with-" he stopped, shocked, as Jess let out a high pitched squeal and pulled the covers over her head. "Jess?" he continued, confused.

"Ummm…" Nick was unsure what to do as he awkwardly sat up in the bed, "Well, you see…" There was a sigh as Jess remerged, wrapping the bed sheet around her, an embarrassed expression on her face.

"Hi Winston," she gave him a little wave.

"Wow, sorry, I didn't know you had company Nick. Great to see you though Jess," Winston's eyes darted around the room as he tried to ignore the fact she was barely dressed and they were both clearly post something fun.

"You too Winston," she replied. They all awkwardly stared at each other for a few excruciating seconds before Winston pulled himself together.

"Nick, I'll, er, speak to you later," he squeaked as he turned on his heels and quickly exited the room.

As the door shut, they both burst into peals of laughter, "Oh my God, that was horrible," Jess said in between laughing sobs.

"I don't know who was more shocked, us or him," Nick added turning again to face her. "Well, I guess there goes any attempt at secrecy. Winston cannot keep a secret. He's terrible. So he's gonna tell Schmidt…"

"Who will no doubt tell Melissa, who'll probably tell Cece," Jess finished.

"So I guess the question is, what do we tell them?" he pondered, staring deep into her eyes.

"That's difficult, I mean, we haven't even been on a date yet," she shrugged her shoulders a little as she spoke.

"Okay," he said, nodding, "Let's go on a date. Dinner, drinks, a walk on the beach. Whatever you want."

"Alright, sure, I think that would be a good move," she sighed, relieved. This was really happening. "Tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'm not working so yes, tomorrow would be awesome," he pulled her back towards him and they both lay in drowsy silence, pondering on what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Cold beer, warm heart**

* * *

He nervously adjusted his tie, the only tie he owned, as he looked into the bathroom mirror. The grey and blue plaid shirt he was wearing was clean – and ironed – and he was freshly showered. Well, actually he was twice showered. After the first time he had started to think about the night ahead and a film of cool, nervous sweat had begun to cover his body. The second shower had been followed by a liberal spritz of Schmidt's deodorant. Lifting his arms he checked for the tell-tale underarm dark patches; so far so good.

Slipping back into his room, he pushed on his shoes and picked up the small bouquet of flowers he'd bought at the market earlier. Daisies he'd chosen; he didn't know her favorite but they seemed to fit her style. Straightening up, he gave himself one last pep-talk.  _Be cool, Miller._ He took a few deep breaths before heading out of the door.

* * *

She fluffed her hair for the millionth time before appling perhaps her tenth layer of lipgloss. Underneath the dressing table, she tapped her foot as she nervously pulled at the thick straps of her dress. Standing up she studied her reflection. Her dress was red, cherry red, and flared in a 1940's style, gathered in a sweetheart style at the front. Too much? She wondered. Her palms felt a little clammy with anticipation so she squeezed a little hand sanitizer onto them before rubbing them together.

W _hy am I so nervous? S_ he thought,  _this is crazy, stupid-_ She was cut off by the soft 'ding-dong' of the bell as it rang out across the small apartment. Giving herself a large smile in the mirror she told herself, "Here goes," as she skipped out of the room to answer the door.

* * *

He'd found her address quite easily; it turned out she lived about ten blocks from the bar, in a small, modern looking apartment building, surrounded by its identical siblings. Sliding the car into neutral, he'd parked outside before picking up the flowers and slamming the door. The elevator was already there when he stepped into the lobby; he punched the number three and waited as the doors closed. Slowly rising up the floors, he gave himself one final look over in the mirrored walls.  _You'll do, Miller,_ he told himself.

Staring at his feet, he nervously waited for Jessica to answer the door. Finally, he heard the soft clack of her heels against the hardwood floor, stopping a foot or two away, before the door began to swing open. Momentarily, he was stunned into silence. She looked… "Hi Jessica," he began before faltering. He lifted up the bouquet of flowers and handed them to her, by way of extending the conversation. Bringing them to her nose, she breathed in the soft, sweet scent.

"Daisies. My favorite," she smiled, "Do you want to come in while I put these in some water?" He nodded in reply, his voice still choked by nerves.

He stood awkwardly watching her find a vase and fill it with water; he was hypnotised by the swish of her hair and her red dress. She was so… She turned to face him. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Um yeah, sure… You look beautiful Jessica," he said finally. This made her cheeks glow a little.

"Thank you," she replied, feeling a warm glow buzz inside her.

* * *

After parking the car, they had walked a block to their destination. She had asked him again and again on the way what he had planned and he'd kept to the same answer, "It's a surprise."

Finally, the lightbulb covered marquee of the Rialto theater came into view; her favorite place to watch old movies. How did he know? As they got closer she could see the lettering on the sign become clearer.  _Pillow Talk , Starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson._  She let out a little squeal of excitement. "Oh my God, I LOVE Doris Day!" she exclaimed, digging her fingers excitedly into his arm as she spoke.

"You do?" he asked a little surprised. He figured she'd like old movies but this reaction was more than he expected.

"Yeah, I used to watch all her films on TV with my mom as a kid and sing along to all the songs…" she sighed contentedly.

"I've never actually seen a movie this old," he admitted.

"Seriously? Miller, you are missing out. Come on!" and with that she tugged on his arm and raced towards the ticket booth.

* * *

In the dark of the movie theater they had sat close together on a velvet covered double seat. The screen was an old fashioned type – with a stage and heavy curtains that pulled back as the movie began. He bought a box of popcorn and a soda and they took their seats as the lights began to dim.

As she watched the inevitable falling in love of Rock and Doris's characters, she snuggled into Nick's body. He'd eventually pulled his arm over her shoulder; she had known he'd wanted to do it since they sat down but it had taken an hour of 60's movie fun before he'd worked up the nerve. His body felt warm and comfortable to lean upon, as if she fit perfectly.

He loved the feel of her curled up against him. So soft and pretty, he leant his head down and pressed his lips against her glossy hair. Smiling, he thought he was the luckiest guy in the world.

* * *

They walked out of the movie theater, hand in hand. "I actually really enjoyed that," Nick declared as they headed out onto the street.

"Told you so," she teased, squeezing his fingers. "So what now?" she asked, not wanting the night to end.

"I have an idea," he replied, pulling her in the direction of the car.

* * *

Luna Park was still busy, although it was almost 10pm the rides still turned and the lights and sounds of the carnival games swirled around them. They bought a strip of ride tickets from the booth at the entrance and then he turned to her, "What shall we do first?" She bit her lip and thought for a while.

"Bumper cars!" she exclaimed.

"In those shoes?" he laughed, pointing at the red suede heels she was wearing.

"What's wrong, afraid a girl can whip your ass?" she replied sassily.

"Oh, you're so going to get it," he retorted, dashing in the direction of the ride.

"I hope so," she said under her breath before tottering after him.

* * *

Four rides later (Three bumper cars – score 2:1 to Jess and then a trip on the runaway mine cart coaster) their sides ached from laughing and smiling. Jess stopped to buy a cone of cotton candy, tearing off chunks of the pink fuzz and stuffing it into her mouth. He was mesmerized by the movement of her glossy lips, little bits of candy sticking to them.

"Nick? What's wrong? You're staring."

"Um, you've got…" he held his breath and stepped closer to her and picked a small piece of candy from her top lip before gazing deep into her blue eyes.

"Thanks," she replied breathlessly. The silence between them was full of underlying tension and unspoken words.

"Um, two tickets left," he finally said, holding up to small blue pieces of paper, "What next?"

Her eyes quickly flitted to the glowing Ferris wheel that dominated the skyline of the park; covered in glowing lights it lie up the night sky like a magic windmill of color and delight. "That."

* * *

Stepping into the car, they'd sat on opposite sides to each other as the attendant closed the metal gate. Silently the car had started to glide upwards into the dark night sky, higher and higher until they could see for miles. Jess was enchanted and looked out across the expanse in front of her. The wheel slowed and finally came to a halt as they reached the apex of the journey.

"Look at all those homes, all those people. Just going about their day to day lives. Eating, sleeping, watching TV, making love…" she caught herself in her musings and her eyes rose to meet his.

"Being up here certainly gives you a whole new perspective," he agreed.

"It just makes me realize how unimportant I am, we are, in the whole big scheme of things, you know?"

"I guess," he nodded, "But I can't agree you could ever be unimportant." She felt her heart race a little at his words and as a chill of excitement flooded her, causing her to shudder.

"You cold?" he asked as a cool wind crossed through the open carriage, blowing her hair around her face in fiery tendrils.

"A little," she admitted. Quickly her slid across onto the seat next to hers and wrapped his arms around her body until she lay back against his chest. "Mmmm," she moaned. Feeling warmer by the second as a glow of happiness flooded her body.

* * *

It was midnight and the fair was closing. They'd stayed on the Ferris wheel for long after their allotted time – Nick had slipped the operator a twenty. Finally, they had to step off and made their way back to the car.

"Oh, I don't want the night to end," she said, slipping her arms around his waist as he lay back against the car.

"Well, I do have a backup plan," he boasted. She raised her eyebrows as he rounded the back of the car and popped the trunk; he pulled out a small cooler and headed back to her side before taking her hand and pulling her towards the nearby beach.

As they reached the sand, she tugged off her heels and held them in one hand; the other in his, fingers intertwined. After a few minutes he stopped and gestured for her to sit. The beach was deserted; the only sound was a faint crashing of waves and a distant hum of car noise.

He popped the lid of the cooler and pulled out two bottles of Heisler, twisting off the lid he passed her the first condensation-covered bottle. As she took hold of it, the contents bubbled over a little and slid down her hand. She pulled it towards herself and licked the trail of beer from her skin.

"Sorry," he apologized as he opened his own bottle, before tossing the caps into the box and replacing the lid. They sat silently and watched the reflection of the full moon as it danced upon the gentle waves of the ocean. The quiet and calm of the beach was in stark contrast with the frenetic atmosphere of the fair.

He slid closer to her and returned his arm to her shoulder as they each took long draws of the beer.  _This feels nice,_ he thought, the soft breeze that crossed the breach filled the air with her scent. He breathed deeply and pulled her tighter to him. Eventually, she twisted her head to face him, "This has been the best date I've been on in a long time."

"Really?" he asked, surprised. He was worried she would think this was corny.

"Really, Nick Miller. You are full of surprises."

"I do what I can," he smiled in reply. She tipped the remains of her beer into the mouth before digging the bottle into the sand at her feet.

"You know what would make this perfect?" she continued.

"What?" he asked faintly as his heart began to beat faster in anticipation.

"A kiss," she replied softly, her eyes darting to his lips as she spoke. A smile pulled at his mouth.

"What a great idea," he agreed; pulling her body towards him and placing a soft, warm kiss on her lips.

* * *

The air had chilled further and they returned to the car. Once there, he had placed the cooler on the roof as he pressed her body against the car, stealing one last, longing kiss.

Breathing heavily, she pulled away, "Hey Nick," she croaked, "Want to come back to my place? For a nightcap?" Silently he nodded, maintaining gaze with her as he did.

* * *

The roads were quiet and the drive back to Jess's apartment was quick. A sense of tension and anticipation had filled the car.  _The date had gone well, was still going well,_ he thought as he pulled into a parking space. A soft rain had begun to fall, leaving small splashes of water on the windscreen.

She got out of the car, covering her hair with her purse and gave him a wide grin as he locked the door.  _This was really happening,_ she thought,  _not a fluke._

They ran into the lobby and she frantically pushed the elevator button with no response. Impatiently she turned and pushed the door to the stairs, unable to wait any longer; kicking off her shoes and taking the stairs two at a time, pulling him behind her.

She flung the door open to the third floor, turning to give Nick a wicked smile as she did so. Rounding the corner to her apartment she was struck by the sightof a long pair of legs lying across the hallway.  _What the-_ she thought, pausing as the rest of his body came into view. It was Sam.

* * *

Laughing, he had chased her up the stairs, full of excitement and anticipation. Reaching the third floor she had abruptly stopped short of her apartment and he almost crashed into her back. "Jess, what the-" he stopped as he saw the reason for her halting. Sam. His heart began to sink in his chest.

"Jess, I-" Sam began as he started to push himself from the ground, a large extravagant bouquet of flowers in one hand.  _I knew the daisies were a dumb idea,_ Nick chastised himself. "I've came to-" he stopped as Nick cleared his throat and stepped forward, "Oh, you're not alone." He finished.

"Um, no, I'm…" she struggled to find the words.  _What was he doing here?_  Her head was in chaos. She had called him yesterday, told him it was over- thought that was the end of it; they were nothing serious…

"Look, Jess, I know this is bad timing," he glanced at Nick, "But I needed to tell you. I-I love you."

Jess took in a sharp intake of breath as he spoke.  _What was he doing?_  A loud buzz of panic began to fill her ears. "I-I'm on a date Sam…" she replied weakly, letting go of Nick's hand and gesturing to him.

"I know and I know this isn't cool, but I needed to tell you. All that stuff about not wanting something serious, I didn't mean it," she held her breath as he spoke, "When you said it was over something inside of me just snapped and I knew, I knew…" His voice trailed off as he thrust the large heavy bouquet into her hands.

* * *

Nick's mouth went dry as he watched the scene unfold. The happy daydream of the past few hours came crashing around him as reality broke through the bubble it had created. Who was he kidding, how could he ever be good enough for her. He coughed and said weakly, "Look I'm going to go and let you to talk," he turned to walk away and Jess tugged at his arm.

"No, Nick, wait…" she cried softly. He looked deep into her eyes, drinking them in as though it may be the last time he saw them.

"Seriously Jess, it's fine. I understand," he nodded as he spoke, a side smile tugging at his mouth as he turned and began to race down the stairs.

* * *

Outside the soft rain had turned into a shower. His heart was racing and he gulped down cool, damp breaths of air. He was panicking a little. The scene outside the apartment began to swim a little as he placed his head between his legs, allowing the blood to flow back to his brain, the sick feeling subsiding a little. He finally raised his body up and laid his head back upon the cool brick of the apartment, slowing his breathing as he did so.

His face rolled to one side as the feeling of failure entered his mind.  _Well, 'least you tried,_ he solaced himself.  _You tried,_ he repeated.

Suddenly, his face twisted as the truth dawned on him.  _No, you didn't try Miller. You wimped out, as usual. Gave up at the first sign of trouble._

_But how can I compete?_ The other side of him replied.  _There will always be some guy waiting to snatch her away._

But what did he have to lose, really? His pride? He snorted, he'd lost that a long time ago. He realized, all he had to lose was an amazing girl, a fantastic woman who at this moment may be getting back with the handsome, rich doctor who she met at his bar…  _No,_ he told himself sternly,  _this isn't how it ends, it isn't-_ And without finishing his thought he pushed himself upright and turned for the door.

* * *

Her heart dropped as he ran down the stairs, away from her.  _What, why…_ She turned to face Sam, his handsome face open and expectant. Her mind went blank.  _What had just happened?_ Her mouth tried to form words, tell Sam this wasn't what she wanted. He took her silence as agreement and stepped closer to her, placing his hand on her cheek. She stared up at his blue eyes; handsome, kind, perfectly nice Sam. Sam who wanted her and wasn't afraid to say it. Sam the kind of guy you could build a future with.

His face pulled into a smile, "Oh Jess," he began as he drew his mouth closer to hers.

She quickly shook loose of him and stepped back. "No Sam. This isn't what I want," she said, placing a firm hand on his chest.

"But I thought…"

"No. It's not you, it's me… I mean. I want someone else," she pursed her lips as she awaited his reply.

"That bartender guy?" he'd replied.

"Yes," she retorted, "That bartender guy."

"Really Jess? You sure? We could have a great life together, if you'd let me…" Her mind considered what he said. With Sam, it would be easy. Rich, handsome, successful and she knew he was a decent guy. Life would be easy with him. She could see their future stretched out in front of her like a map – engagement, marriage, kids, retirement to some cute condo... She shook her head.

"No, I mean, I know I would. But I don't love you like that and you deserve real love and so do I."

He silently nodded at her words. "So, do you love him?" he asked. Something inside her clicked at at this questionb. She'd never actually considered this before but without hesitation she replied.

"Yes, yes I do," as the full realization of what she had said dawned on her she looked Sam in the eye and continued, "I'm sorry Sam, I have to- have to go…" her words were drowned out as she made her own race for the stairs

* * *

Heart pounding she raced to the lobby, two, three steps at a time.  _I love him,_ the voice in her head kept repeating. She reached the glass door to the parking lot and pushed it open, just in time to see him reaching for the door himself.

"Jessica…" he said, staring at her, wide eyed. She saw he was soaked, the soft rain of earlier was turning into a downpour. She continued to breathe heavily. "I was wrong to leave…" he continued.

"I know," she cried, "I shouldn't have let you." She stepped away from the cover of the small porch; the rain began to soak though her hair. Her dress began to stick to her skin. He studied her face as beads of water began to slide down her ivory skin, her eyelashes started to clump together; she didn't care, she kept her gaze upon him.

"Jess, I'm an idiot, I don't want you to be with Sam," he swallowed, inching further to her, "I want you to be with me," he said breathlessly. Her eyes widened, she reached out and clutched the damp material of his shirt that was clinging to his skin. She smiled.  _What was she thinking?_ He thought.

"I…I think I'm falling in love with you Nick," she had to raise her voice. The rain had turned into a thunderous downpour, creating a roar as it attacked the cars in the parking lot.

His heart stopped; this-this he hadn't expected. His heart raced. "Really?" he finally asked.

Slowly she nodded. By now her hair was sodden, her bangs slicked to her forehead. He reached forward, pushing the damp tendrils of hair out of her eyes, he smiled. An honest, genuine happy smile.

"Jessica… I think I've loved you since the first time I met you."

Without hesitation, her arms hand flung themselves around his neck, her lips pressed themselves hungrily against his. Passionately, his hands had found her waist. As they kissed he spun her round, her feet kicked up in the air. She felt a little dizzy – she wasn't sure if it was from the kiss or from the spinning. Stopping briefly, he gave her a show stopping smile which made her heart melt, before he dipped her back into a satisfying, delirious kiss.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Champagne Celebration**

* * *

The leather sofa was worn and soft, the seat sagging just a little in the middle where they sat. She lay, legs curled up, her head lying on his chest. Enveloping her, his arm held Jess close; stroking the soft, bare skin of her arm with his thumb. Her body felt warm and relaxed held against his. She had fallen asleep about half an hour into the movie but he had not disturbed her, instead he watched her sleep.

The regular rise and fall of her chest was a calming sight. Her hair was loose and framed her face with its chocolate brown curls. Occasionally, her eye lids would flutter. Perhaps she was dreaming, maybe about him - about them? The soft sound of her regular breathing was a soothing sound. He could lay like this forever, happily intertwined.

* * *

Arriving at her apartment at one am, she could tell he was exhausted. When he called to say he had to work late she told him didn't need to come over, but he insisted. He worked so hard now he was assistant manager. The smile he gave her as she opened the door could have melted the coldest of hearts. He had such a genuine, breath taking smile; every time she saw it, it made her heart jump. The thought that she was the cause of it, so thrilling and amazing to her even still.

He wrapped her in a warm embrace, kissed her on the cheek. Walking to her room, she pulled him into bed, tugged off his jeans and shirt. His warm body sank into her soft mattress. Slipping under the covers, she entwined her legs with his and lay facing him. Wordlessly they lay together, smiling, small kisses exchanged until she watched his heavy eyelids fall closed. As he slipped into a deep sleep, she felt a warm glow build inside. Her eyes followed the lines of his face, strong and kind. She sighed; how she loved him. How she often pondered the fates that had brought them together.

Leaning over, she gently kissed his forehead. "Good night Nicholas," she said quietly, continuing to watch him until her own exhaustion overwhelmed her and she fell into a deep sleep dreaming of what was to come.

* * *

"Open your eyes," he said, untying the polka dotted scarf that was covering them.

"Surprise!" came the sound of a chorus of voices. She squealed as she looked around and saw a sea of familiar faces filling Clyde's bar.

"Happy birthday," he whispered in her ear, causing a little shiver to run through her as she turned and looked at him. Their eyes met and she smiled, a genuine happy smile.

* * *

The music was loud, the party in full swing. Jess moved from table to table smiling, laughing - enjoying the presence of her friends all in one place.

Across the room, Nick stood, perched with one arm laid against the bar, quietly drinking a bottle of Heisler; a simple smile on his face as he watched the scene before him.

"Someone looks very pleased with themselves," Cece observed as she slid next to him, martini glass in hand.

"Well I think we did a good job, right?" he replied, turning to his head towards her and holding out his bottle.

"That we did," she agreed, clinking her glass with his bottle, "But that's not what I meant."

He twisted his body and observed her, a mischievous look on her face. "What are you playing at Cece?" he asked.

"Nothing ... I just know that smitten look from a mile away."

His face coloured a little as a self-conscious expression crossed it. He cleared his throat a little, "Well, you know Jess is a great girl and I love her and all-"

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted, "I know you're crazy about her Miller. What I really want to know is what you are going to do about it?" He chewed his lip as he digested Cece's questioning. That girl certainly got straight to the point. "Look, Jess is my oldest, best friend in the world. I don't want her getting hurt again."

"Hurt?" He asked, confused, "How would I hurt her? I would never..."

"There are different ways of hurtling people Nick. I mean, where do you see this going?"

"Well," he began, turning the question over in his mind, "I, err.."

"Hmm," she said, nodding her head, "I see," and she started to push away from the bar.

"No," he stopped her, placing a hand on her arm and she turned back to face him, "I see everything happening with her. Marriage, kids," he added quietly, "I've never met anyone like her before."

"But you haven't told her?"

"Well, no, I mean, we've only been dating for six months..." he replied giving Cece a confused smile.

"Nick, we're not in sixth grade. Jess is 30 and I can tell you that she thinks about the future more often than you can imagine. If you want these things, you need to tell her. Soon." She gave him an earnest look as she placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"But isn't it too soon?"

"Look, I'm not saying you guys are going to get married tomorrow but life's too short not to talk about these things," she leaned in and whispered in his ear, "And you need to know, I've never seen her like this about a guy before," she pulled back and looked him in the eye, "Ever." With that she sank the rest of her martini before walking away.

* * *

"So," began Sadie, bumping a little further along the booth so she was closer to Jess, "How is your little bartender fling going."

"It's not a fling Sadie," Jess protested, sipping her wine.

"Really? You see this going somewhere?" Sadie replied incredulously.

"Why, does that surprise you?"

"No, I didn't mean," her voice trailed off as she placed a hand on Jess's arm, "I just didn't realise. I thought this was just a thing." She shrugged her shoulders a little as she gave Jess an apologetic look.

"It's been weird. How we met, how we got together..." she sighed and a smile began to emerge on her lips, "I can't explain it. But it's been amazing."

"So do you think, you know..." she prodded. Jess winced and covered her face with her hand.

"We haven't talked about it," she admitted with an awkward smile.

"And you've been together-"

"Six months," Jess finished, staring into her glass. She shifted so she was facing Sadie, "It's just been so good I haven't wanted to jinx it. Scare him away," she shrugged.

"But how do you know what he wants if you don't ask him?," she moved a little closer to Jess, "I don't want you getting hurt."

Jess swallowed. She knew the time would come when they would have to discuss their future. The point where a decision would have to be made. "You're right. I'll talk to him - soon." She squeezed Sadie's hand, "Hey, this is a party. Lets stop this serious talk. Time for a shot," she said with a twinkle in her eye. Her mind still preoccupied with what they had discussed.

* * *

"Bye," Jess waved at the final partygoers leaving Clyde's; it was midnight and she stifled a yawn.

"You tired?" Nick asked as he gently rubbed her shoulder. Lying back against him she sighed a little.

"Kinda," she replied. They were the only people left apart from Big Bob- the bar was eerily quiet after the buzz and music of earlier. "I think I've just been up so high all night I'm crashing back down," she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, "Thank you, this was a great surprise." He breathed deeply, taking in her soft scent.

"Well, I hope you're not too tired, because I haven't given you my present yet." She eyed him curiously, a smile playing at her lips. "C'mon," he finished, taking her hand and leading her to the door.

* * *

They pulled up to Nick's apartment building and took the elevator to the fourth floor - but instead of heading into apartment 4D Nick led her to the short staircase that accessed the roof. Stepping out into the crisp air, Jess shivered a little. Then, looking up, she began to smile. In front of her was a table and two chairs, in the middle of the table was a champagne bucket with two long stemmed glasses placed beside it. She turned and looked at him.

"I knew that tonight was going to be crazy, so I wanted to make sure we had a little time to spend with just me and you," he explained as he led her to the table and pulled out a chair. Picking up the bottle of champagne, he shook off the drops of water from the ice bucket before peeling away the golden foil and wire that covered the cork. Gently, he held the bottle out in front of him and twisted the cork until there was a soft pop, then he slowly filled each glass.

Jess took hold of the thin stem, raising the crystal, and he copied. "To you Jess, happy birthday," he toasted.

Each took a small sip of the sparkling liquid as both turned to gaze out over the twinkling city skyline. "It's so beautiful and peaceful up here," Jess observed.

"Yeah, it's my favourite place to come and be alone," he shifted a little so he was facing her, "But I prefer it with your company." She blushed a little as she lifted her glass for another sip. "Anyway, I still need to give you your gift..." his voice trailed off as he raised himself up from his seat and disappeared to the other side of the roof.

She sat, a little nervously, and waited. Twirling the glass in her hands she felt strangely nervous and excited at the same time. Her earlier conversation with Sadie was starting to come back to her, having been forgotten in the earlier excitement of the party. Part of her wanted to have that conversation now but she felt it wasn't the right time, tomorrow, she told herself silently.

Nick returned, clutching a small box covered in brightly coloured paper. Sitting down, he placed the box on the table and used his finger to push it towards Jess. "Happy birthday Jess," he said.

As she began to unravel the paper wrapping, Nick watched nervously, chewing his lip as her fingers slid in between the the layers of paper and tape. Inside was a small, blue box. Carefully she lifted the lid and removed the layer of tissue that covered the contents. She gasped as she saw what was inside, her eyes immediately seeking out his. Lifting out the gift, she smiled. It was a silver frame, intricately engraved with swirls and flowers. It was old, she could tell. She ran her fingers over the smooth edges as she studied the picture he had placed inside. It was a strip of photo booth pictures that they had gotten about a month earlier on another date to Luna Park. They were both beaming for the camera, in one he held her tightly and was placing a kiss on her cheek. Another showed Jess smiling for the camera, whilst he looked at her. The look in his eyes; how hadn't she noticed it at the time?

Looking up at him again, she stood up and walked over to his side of the table, "This is perfect," she said, placing her hands on either side of his face and giving him a soft and tender kiss.

"Good," he replied, with a sigh of relief, "I was worried about what to get you." He gave her an awkward smile.

"Well you did good," she assured him, as he pulled her into his lap, his hand beginning to stoke her back as she nestled into him. "This is going to be hard to top next time," she said as she stared at the frame as it lay on the table.

"Next time?" He asked quizzically.

"Next birthday," she explained, looking him in the eye, "Or even our anniversary..." He swallowed deeply, wondering if now was the time to broach the topic of his and Cece's conversation.

"So you see us lasting?" he asked.

"Yeah, don't you?" she replied quickly, whipping her face round to face his. His eyes looked a little panicked and she felt a little sinking feeling on her stomach.

"Of course, I mean, you know I love you Jess, I guess I've just been so caught up in making this work and not messing up..."

She paused and waited, unsure as to what he was really saying to her. "Nick, have you thought about us? Where this is going?" His heart began to beat harder as he tried to buildup some courage, "I have," she finished quietly.

"Jessica," he began, "You are an amazing woman..." He stopped and she stared at him. Where was he going with this? "And ever since you've been in my life, it has changed for the better. And I never want that to end," he finished quietly.

She reached over and brought her hand up to his face, studying his serious expression and honest eyes.

"So..."

"So I want it all. Everything. With you. Eventually of course," he added quickly.

"Of course," she echoed, a little warble in her voice.

"Because we've not even been dating for a year and anything like that now would be crazy."

"Yeah, crazy," she echoed again. Her eyes dipped to the ground. "Nick, I want it all too, with you," she admitted. "But it would be insane to, you know, so soon..."

They sat in stillness, each feeling the heavy thud of the others heartbeat as they considered the truths they had both revealed.

"Because," he started again, "If we were to take any kind of next step so soon, everyone would be like, you're insane!" They both chucked a little.

"Yeah, it'd be like you two crazy kids, you hardly know each other," she chimed in. The both laughed a little nervously.

"So, just out of interest, how soon is not too soon?" he asked with a shrug.

She ran her tongue against her teeth, something she did when she was thinking. "Well, a year is a good, round figure," she offered.

He nodded, "Yeah, after a year you should know someone pretty well."

"I mean, how much is there to learn, to be sure I mean."

"Yeah, we met, like what, a year ago?"

"Uh-huh," she said, considered the direction their conversation was taking.

"And we know each other pretty good, right?"

"Yeah, a year sounds good," she replied, her voice becoming quieter as she spoke.

Nick turned a little further towards her, moving his hands to her arms. She held her breath, waiting for him to speak.

* * *

"Will you marry me?" the words tumbled out before he had a chance to second guess them. They both sat in stunned silence. Him at his spontaneity, her unsure if he meant it.

"Huh?" She squeaked.

"This is dumb, and you have every right to say no, but, I love ya more than I ever thought was possible. Why wait? Will you be my wife?" Time seemed to stand still as he waited for her reply. Her face turned from shock, to a blank expression as her mouth twisted into different shapes. Then, a smile emerged, starting with her lips and breaking into a beaming, large grin.

"Yes, yes," she said in disbelief at what was happening, "This is crazy, but I'm crazy about you and I can't think of a singe reason not to say yes."

"Really?" he asked, "Really?" She nodded her agreement, before he pulled her close. "Wait, I need to do this properly."

His eyes searched the table until he found the gold foil from the champagne bottle. Quickly he twisted it into shape as he slid out from under Jess and sank to one knee in from of her. Taking her left hand in his he spoke.

"Jessica Day, would you do me the honor of marrying me and becoming my wife?" He asked, the hastily crafted ring poised near her finger.

"Yes, a thousand times yes Nick Miller," she cried as he slid the foil circle onto her finger. Small tears began to run down her cheek as she laughed with happiness. "I can't believe it..."

"Neither can I," he admitted, giddy in the moment. He lowered his forehead to hers, this lips inches away from each other. "I love you Jess," he finished simply.

"I love you Nick." she replied, moving her lips closer to his to seal their engagement with a kiss.

**The end.**


End file.
